Call for social welfare rises as cost of caring for children surges

The price of nappies is up 84% and baby milk formula is 37% higher since 2020.

Families have seen the cost of caring for infant children rise dramatically in recent years, with the price of nappies up 84% and baby milk formula up 37% since 2020.

The latest report on the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) from the Society of St Vincent de Paul has said that the cost of the needs of a child aged 12 and over remains the highest than for any other group of children.

MESL is the standard of living which no one should be expected to live below and is a minimum standard for everyone, not just those in poverty.

St Vincent de Paul said that this standard on the essential costs for a dignified life in Ireland underscores the “severe impact of inflation and rising living costs over recent years”.

The MESL for a child aged 12 and over is €149 a week, while it is €60 for a pre-school child. This covers everything from the cost of food, clothing and other essentials.

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While inflation has stabilised in recent times, households are still paying more with a typical MESL food basket rising by 1.5% in the last year. Since 2020, food costs have surged 21.2%.

Similarly, while energy costs are now falling, they’re still 62.7% higher for urban households and 54% higher for rural households over the same four-year period.

The report also suggests that social welfare rises have not been enough to meet the rising costs facing families but that one-off cost-of-living supports have helped to mitigate the impact of the “exceptional rise in living costs”.

“While there is now a relative stabilisation in costs the cumulative effects of inflation over recent years highlight the need for continued policy intervention to ensure an adequate social protection floor and a dignified standard of living for all,” SVP added.