Barnardos wants budget supports to give families a 'safety net'

 Barnardos chief executive officer Suzanne Connolly: 'It is shameful that more children are being pulled into poverty and not enjoying a decent standard of living.' Picture: Mark Stedman

Families are living without a “safety net” and have nowhere to go to quickly access funds if their income won’t cover the cost of energy and food, Barnardos has said, as it called for Government supports in the upcoming budget.

The children’s charity has said that many low-income families do not have sufficient income to provide children with necessities and said the Government must increase core social welfare rates by €25 in the upcoming Budget, at a cost of €840m.

It should also increase the qualified child increase payment by €15 for over 12s and by €10 for under 12s, with a longer-term goal of benchmarking social welfare payments in line with minimum essential standard of living requirements, according to the charity.

“The measures taken by the Government over the past 18 months to protect families from rapid cost of living increases will have helped many children across the country," Barnaros chief executive officer Suzanne Connolly said.

“However, it is shameful that more children are being pulled into poverty and not enjoying a decent standard of living.” 

In its pre-Budget submission, Barnardos said it is clear from parents it supports that these Government measures are welcome, but temporary.

“All disposable income for the families we support is going towards bills, energy, food, and travel,” the charity said. “There is little to nothing left for social activities, such as vital after-school activities or trips.

“Living on the edge financially means that for many families, if something goes wrong or something crops up in the future, they will be pushed over that edge.” 

Homelessness

Along with welfare supports, Barnardos said that it is important for families to reduce the cost of education and for the Government to take strong action in the region of family homelessness.

The most recent figures show that over 3,500 children were homeless in Ireland at the beginning of the summer.

The charity said rent increases are making it unaffordable for many families to move out of unsuitable or inappropriate accommodation, with some families living in cramped conditions with grandparents or properties that are damp and not suitable for their children. Further Government supports should be targeted to help those families, including increasing HAP limits, it said. 

Ms Connolly added: “It is vital that Government take the opportunity in Budget 2024 to do the right thing to ensure that this winter all children in Ireland, at an absolute minimum, live in homes that have sufficient food, are appropriately heated, and that families can afford the electricity they need to run their home."