'There’s not much left for any pleasures in life. It’s grim and not getting any better'

Barnardos has been conducting its cost-of-living survey for four years. In 2022, just 2% of parents faced serious problems paying the rent. This is now at 7%. Picture: iStock

Almost half of families in Ireland go without or at least cut back on basic essentials including food and electricity, new figures in the Barnardos Cost of Living 2025 survey claim.

Parents are borrowing money to buy food, cancelling medical insurance, and already “dreading” next winter’s heating bills, it said.

Only 27% of parents did not need to cut back or go without any items listed in the survey, compared to 37% in 2022.

Heating was cut back, or gone without, by one in five families, while low incomes forced almost one third of parents into arrears on energy bills, it said.

The pressures are such that 40% of parents borrowed money at least once in the last year to buy essentials. 

Some 40% of parents skipped meals or reduced portion sizes so their children would have enough to eat. 

Another 28% felt at some point they did not have enough food for their children, and 12% used a foodbank. 

The data on rent shows that, in 2022, just 2% of parents faced serious problems paying the rent. This is now at 7%.

Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly called for targeted permanent supports instead of once-off cost-of-living measures. Picture:  Patrick Bolger

One woman said: “It has made me feel guilty and useless as a mother as I am struggling to give my children what they need… It’s not enough. My children’s mental health is also suffering.”

Another parent explained: “My in-laws buy us fuel each week, we couldn’t afford it otherwise. I never have money in my purse or account. We are worse off than before.”

Another said: “There’s not much left for any pleasures in life. It’s grim and not getting any better.”

One parent said they are “dreading next winter’s bills”.

After-school activities were cut by other parents surveyed.

The survey of 1,000 parents or guardians was carried out in May by Amárach Research.

Some 52% of those surveyed cut back or went without social activities, while 51% cut back or went without clothing and medical appointments.

Some 78% of parents said these problems had a negative impact on their children, with 19% saying this is significant.

Providing children with daily essentials is sometimes or always a worry for 70%.

Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly said: 

Parents on the lowest incomes are really struggling, as well as those just outside the threshold for welfare supports. 

The organisation has been conducting this survey for four years.

Ms Connolly said that, in that period, “things have remained static, despite repeated once-off government cost-of-living measures". 

She called for targeted permanent supports instead. She added:

At an absolute minimum, every child in Ireland should live in homes with adequate heating and electricity, sufficient nutritious food and appropriate clothing, as well as the opportunity to engage in sporting and cultural activities. 

Barnardos called for changes in the fuel allowance and for child support payments to increase in line with inflation. This would mean an increase for under-12s by €6 weekly and for over-12s by €15 weekly in Budget 2026.

It argued that income disregard — where some income types are not included in means-testing — for one-parent family payments should be increased.

All financially vulnerable families using prepaid meters should be placed on the lowest tariffs, it said.

• This article was originally published on July 8, 2025.