Children wearing oversized shoes and pyjamas in the daytime as parents cut costs

Barnardos reports surge in parents using child benefit — which they would normally spend on key clothing items for children such as a winter coat, winter shoes, or summer items — to pay for essentials such as electricity and heat.

Children are wearing hand-me-down, oversized shoes and pyjamas in the daytime as parents cut costs to make ends meet, according to staff at Barnardos.

The charity’s employees have reported a surge in parents resorting to using child benefit — which they would normally spend on key clothing items for children such as a coat or shoes — to pay for electricity and heat.

Esther Pugh, manager of the Barnardos centre in Loughlinstown, Dublin, said families hit by rising living costs were buying children open-ended footwear such as flip-flops to get extended wear out of them and cheap pyjamas to use as daywear.

I have worked in Barnardos for a long number of years and what I am seeing now is the kind of deprivation we would have seen back in the '80s. It is bad — there is no point saying otherwise.

Barnardos has seen more families seeking help and relying on the charity for food vouchers and hampers, as well as using its facilities to wash and dry their clothes. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA

Barnardos head of fundraising Mary Gamble, tweeted: "At a visit to @Barnardos_IRL centre staff talked about one visible impact of the #CostOfLivingCrisis — an increase in ‘hand me down’ shoes — many children walking in shoes that are far too big for them. The long term impact of rising costs will be felt by the most vulnerable."

Ms Pugh said that was just one element of the crisis that Barnardos staff had spotted and were helping families to address.

"Even cheaper than the clothes are the PJs. Some of the summer PJs are quite cute and we would have children coming into the service wearing their pyjamas for day clothes, and specifically bought to be day clothes," she said. "It's parents being really resourceful.

The big worry is electricity running out — families don't have money to run their washing machine and tumble dryers.

The centre has seen more families seeking help and relying on the charity for food vouchers and hampers, as well as using its facilities to wash and dry their clothes.

Food hampers

It is just one of the charities aiding cash-strapped families, with Cork’s Penny Dinners feeding around 3,000 people a week with food hampers and meals.

A survey of more than 300 parents and guardians found that 28% have cut back or gone without heat, and that 23% have cut back or gone without electricity.

A survey of more than 300 parents and guardians released by Barnardos this month found that 28% have cut back or gone without heat, and that 23% have cut back or gone without electricity.

Budget measures

On Monday night, Government party leaders will discuss a counter-motion to a Sinn Féin motion to be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday demanding a €1bn emergency budget.

To date the Government has rejected calls for budget measures prior to October, warning of the impact such measures could have in fuelling further inflation.

Rebates

It has also highlighted steps taken to ease cost-of-living increases, such as electricity and gas rebates and cuts to fuel excise duty, that amount to €2.5bn in support since October.

"It comes down to how much money you want to be available for autumn, when we think people will really need the help," said one senior minister.

Ministers accept that "the temperature will be high" in the remaining three weeks of the Dáil term but say there is a commitment among the coalition leaders and the finance and public expenditure ministers to wait until the budget for further measures.

Government sources said they were concerned that "reacting week to week" would put at risk priorities such as a cut to creche fees.

Alternative proposal

Sinn Féin's finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said his party's proposal would "deliver much-needed support to ensure that workers get a break".

“The Government cannot keep ignoring this crisis and the huge pressures people are under. The time to act is now."