Cost of Living - 2023
Cost of Living 2023. Impact on Children is a report outlining the growing impact the cost of living crisis is having on children across the country. Over 73% of parents surveyed said the cost of living increases have negatively affected the children in their care over the past 6 months, with almost two in ten (17%) saying it has significantly affected them.
The report outlines findings of a survey conducted by Amarach Research of a nationally representative survey of 315 parents and 30 one to one interviews with parents currently supported through Barnardos services.
The survey findings show the realties some families are facing.
Download a Copy of the Report & Executive Summary
| Over the past 6 months, have and or your children/children had to go without or cut down on any of the following due to cost of living increases? | April 2023 | April 2022 |
| Heat | 37% | 28% |
| Electricity | 23% | 23% |
| Food | 20% | 16% |
| Clothing | 43% | 34% |
| Medical appointments/medicines/dentist/assessments | 28% | 17% |
| Social activities | 57% | 50% |
| Participating in local sports groups/clubs | 20% | n/a |
| School supplies | 12% | 8% |
| School trips/activities | 23% | n/a |
| Transport | 14% | 10% |
| Rent | 5% | 2% |
| None of the above | 26% | 37% |
‘He has no lunch going to school, he can't afford to go places with his friends, he is sitting in a cold room trying to do his homework.’
- 37% of parents say they have had to cut down on or gone without heating, 23% on electricity and 20% on food
- 28% of parents said that they had cut back on or gone without medical care, medicines, therapy or health assessments over the past 6 months
- 43% of parents said that they had cut back, or their children had gone without getting new clothes
- Almost two thirds of parents (57%) said that they cut back on their children’s social activities/entertainment, or they had to go without
‘My daughter has 3 outfits and one pair of shoes that fits her, can’t afford to get her more. That’s not right.’
- Seven in ten (70%) parents said they sometimes or always worried about not being able to provide their children with daily essentials such as food, heat or electricity. Only one in ten (11%) said they never worry.
- Parents stated that they are fearful of bills, feel guilty about having to almost constantly say no to their children and their mental health is worsening because life has gotten so much harder.
‘It’s very stressful. Children don’t know the price of living, they shouldn’t know we are not surviving at the minute. If prices get higher, I don’t know how we will survive.’
Barnardos Recommends
- Income Supports
Reduce waiting times for parents seeking Additional Needs Payments where children are at risk of going without essentials. Benchmark social welfare payments in line with minimum essential standard of living measurements and raise the Qualified Child Increase in line with inflation.
- Food
Further expand the hot school meals programme to secondary schools and more non-DEIS schools. Pilot an expansion of school meals during holiday time. Publish an Action Plan on Food Poverty setting out specific targets for reducing the number children and families experiencing food poverty.
- Heating and Electricity
Working with energy providers, the Government should ensure that families on low incomes using pre-paid meters with children living in the house are automatically placed on providers’ lowest tariffs. Provide an additional once off targeted lump sum to families most at risk of going without heating this coming winter to cover the continued exceptionally high price of heating.
- Social Activities
The Child Poverty and Wellbeing Unit should introduce measures to guarantee children living in low-income families can engage equitably in after school sporting and cultural activities. In the immediate term, this should include free public transport for children during holiday periods.
Subscribe to hear more
Barnardos works for and with vulnerable children in Ireland. You can be part of this work by signing up today.