Almost 20 per cent of families have cut back on or gone without heating in the past six months, research from Barnardos into the impact of the rising cost of living shows.
The data also show that two in five are going without other essentials, including food and medical appointments, already this year.
The survey from the children’s charity also suggests one-third of parents went into arrears on energy bills, with 40 per cent of parents skipping meals or reducing portion size so their children would have enough.
A further 28 per cent said at times from January to June, they didn’t have enough food to feed their children, with 12 per cent using a food bank.
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Since 2021, Barnardos has been monitoring the effect of cost-of-living increases and detailing the number of families cutting back, recording the impact it has on their general quality of life and stress levels.
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It commissioned Amárach Research to carry out a nationally representative survey with 1,000 parents or guardians with children aged under 18 in their care in May
The study also showed that 52 per cent of parents reduced or went without social activities, while 41 per cent either cut back on buying clothing or did without.
“There’s not much left for any pleasures in life. It’s grim and not getting any better,” one parent told researchers. “[It ] just keeps getting worse and worse. Dreading next winter’s bills,” another is quoted as saying.
A further 40 per cent said they had borrowed money at least once over the past 12 months to provide their children with essentials. Only 27 per cent said they did not need to cut back or go without essential items.
“The statistics in this report show that parents and children across the country are still going without or having to cut back on basic essentials, reflecting the experience across our services,” said Barnardos chief executive Suzanne Connolly.
“Parents on the lowest incomes are really struggling, as well as those just outside the threshold for welfare supports.”
She said that since the charity first started reporting on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis four years ago, “things have remained static, despite repeated once-off Government cost-of-living measures”.
“She added: There must be targeted permanent supports introduced, otherwise more children will go without essentials next year.”
Her intervention comes after a string of senior Government Ministers have signalled that one-off supports to tackle the impact of inflation will not be seen in Budget 2025.
Meanwhile, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe are said to have made clear to colleagues that they will object to increases in current spending that outstrip economic growth.
Barnardos is advocating for some specific policy changes, including increased child support payments in line with inflation, an increased income disregard for means-tested payments and changes to tariffs for vulnerable families on prepaid energy meters.
