'Bleak winter' ahead for many families in Dorset
Dorset's families are facing the 'bleakest' winter crisis, as parents struggle to feed and clothe their children.
Action for Children says 1 in 5 families in the UK have seen at least one adult lose their job or have had their pay cut.
One family from Dorset say the lockdown was financially crippling for them.
Carl, 28, and Leah, 25, from Sherborne say they were 'just about managing' before the lockdown, but during and afterwards they were unable to afford even the basics for their three children.
Self-employed Carl's painting and decorating work dried up as soon as the country went into lockdown.
Leah explains:
“We were doing OK before the pandemic - just. But everything went downhill rapidly after lockdown. As Carl is self-employed, we’re not entitled to any government help or furloughing or anything – so we’ve been forced to borrow left, right and centre from family and friends as well as take out a loan to cover the council tax - we’ve never struggled like this before, ever. Covering life’s basic expenses since March has pushed us into the most debt we’ve ever been in – and it doesn’t look like things will get better for a long while yet.”
Leah and family have been supported by funds from Action for Children’s coronavirus appeal which were used to pay for gas and electric on several occasions as well as to buy food and summer clothes for her children. Action for Children staff also delivered food parcels from a local food bank for six weeks.
“Our financial situation is shocking. I’ve had many sleepless nights worrying about money but Christmas is the one weighing down on me massively now – it’s there lingering in the back of my mind every day. I’ve no idea how we’re going to stretch to give the kids any sort of decent celebration - my youngest two children share a birthday in December too.
“We’re just praying there aren’t any more lockdowns and we can start to go back to normal – I don’t want to think about it getting any worse.”
Becky Webb, from Action for Children in the South West, said:
“Six months into this pandemic, families are hanging by a thread as they face one of the bleakest winters of their lives. While parents on low incomes are starting to buckle, a new wave of families who’ve never needed help before are now also struggling to make ends meet.
“Our key workers say child poverty levels are at the worst they can remember and have had to deliver life-changing support to thousands of families desperate to keep their kids clothed and well-fed. With furlough ending and unemployment set to rocket just as we hit the colder months, they’ll be plunged into even deeper crisis.
“We must prevent a generation of children from being scarred by poverty and the pandemic. We’ll be there to support them this winter, but the government must put a protective shield around struggling families by ensuring that November’s Budget makes clear that Universal Credit will not be cut by £20 a week in the Spring.”
To support Action for Children’s End Childhood Crisis campaign and help its key workers deliver life-changing support for children and families go to actionforchildren.org.uk