Children in poverty at risk over summer, charities warn

Published by PSW magazine, 09 June 2023

Child poverty and exploitation is set to worsen this summer as a perfect storm of factors puts millions at risk, charities and unions warn.

Barnardo's has issued a warning that five million British children could fall prey to grooming and criminal gangs during the holidays due to the cost of living crisis.

As six in ten parents struggle to afford activities or take time off work, an additional lack of adult supervision at home and the pressure to bring in extra money mean children may turn to crime, said the charity.

Child protection experts warn the exploitation often starts online, with 70 per cent of young people saying they would spend more time on their computers over the summer holidays.

Meanwhile, 75 per cent of social workers fear more children will come into care because of the cost of living crisis. A staggering 4.2 million children are living in poverty in the UK currently, nearly a third (29 per cent) of all children.

The figures, highlighted by the Social Workers Union and other unions in a motion calling for urgent government action, also show that more than a fifth (21 per cent) of families live in damp homes.

Children living in inadequate housing and poverty are more likely to struggle at school and those in the poorest homes are four times more likely to experience severe mental health problems.

An anonymous worker in the north east of England said: “Government austerity policy has had huge impacts on the day-to-day lives of both local authority workers and the populations they serve. There has been a clear reduction of services on offer from the public sector. Schools are short staffed, community spaces have been closed down.

“At the same time, the cost of living crisis has meant that the poorest people in our communities are now worse off than they were ten years ago. Poverty exacerbates social and mental health problems and has increased the need for educational psychology support, at the same time as the public offer is being reduced.”

Disabled children are also vulnerable this summer - missing meals, going without electricity or heating, and skipping school because families cannot cope with mounting financial pressures.

It costs an extra £581 a month to raise a child with special educational needs (SEND) - on top of rising energy bills.

SEND children are "suffering disproportionately" according to the Childhood Trust, which represents more than 200 grassroots charities.

Scotland

In Scotland, one in four children now live in poverty, prompting 101 organisations under the End Child Poverty Coalition to call for action.

Only four local authority areas in Scotland had poverty rates lower than 18 per cent in 2021-22, according to Loughborough University researchers.

The target is to bring all areas below 18 per cent by 2023-24 and under ten per cent by 2030.

Glasgow City, North Ayrshire and Clackmannshire have the highest rates of child poverty, at 32, 29 and 28.3 per cent respectively.

East Renfrewshire is lowest at 14.4 per cent.

The Child Poverty Action Group recommends scrapping the two-child benefit cap and an increase in the £25 Scottish Child Payment.

Broken promises

A year on from England's Independent Review of Children's Social Care, the promise of £2.6 billion is yet to materialise.

The estimated cost of delaying is £200 million a year, according to five leading children's charities, including Action for Children and the NSPCC.

In ten years, allowing for inflation, the government will have spent £1 billion more than if it had implemented reforms as set out in the review.

Wholesale reform is unlikely to be seen until 2025, and the government's 'Stable Homes, Built on Love' programme commits only £200 million between 2023 and 2025.

This is predicted to lead to an extra £510 million in social costs, in addition to the costs incurred by crisis intervention, and the worsening of children’s outcomes.