Charitylaunchesappealtohelp familiesbattlingtoaffordbasics
A quarter of children in Scotland are living in poverty amid a 92 per cent surge in demand for financial advice, a leading charity has said.
Children 1st launched an appeal for donations after Scottish Government figures released last week showed no improvement in the number of children living in poverty across the country.
The cost-of-living crisis has put additional pressure on families who are struggling to afford basics such as food, and replacing necessities such as underwear and shoes which no longer fit, the charity said.
As well as funding support workers, it also has a financial wellbeing team to help with budgeting, benefit checks and applications, charitable grants and debt management – and said the workload had doubled for debt management in the past year.
Demand for financial wellbeing advisers also surged, with more than 1,500 children needing assistance since April 2023, an increase of 92 per cent from April 2022. In total, the financial wellbeing service has supported 925 families since April 2023, amid warnings that 85 per cent of families were cutting back on using the oven or taking showers in a bid to save on bills. The amount of debt managed on behalf of families has increased from around £325,000 in 2022/23 to more than £813,000 since April 2023. The charity said that it was able to help generate an extra £1.7 million for hard-up families, through unclaimed benefits, grants and budgeting since April 2023, doubling the amount generated in 2022-23.
A mother who received support said she was now able to do grocery shopping regularly. Joanna said: "The support from Children 1st has been life changing. Now I can afford to buy regular shopping so we can have a healthier diet. I can buy Max and his brother things like boxers, socks, trainers and things that need regularly updating. It feels like we have won the lottery."
The charity said that figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showed a lack of improvement in the number of children living in poverty across Scotland, which demonstrated the need for its services.
To donate to the Children 1st crisis appeal visit www. children1st.org.uk/crisis.