More children are falling into poverty, but support ‘will dry up’ according to Birmingham family charity

Family charity Home Start Birmingham North West relies heavily on donations, but with child poverty levels high in and around the city, resources may run out, according to deputy scheme manager Donna Prescott.

“More and more families in our area are in poverty. And we are fortunate that people make donations to us, but that will dry up at some point.

“As a service there’s only so much we can do with the resources that we’ve got.”

Home Start is one of several charities that supports families in the area who are in need Services like these are important to many in the city, as recent figures show parts of Birmingham have some of the highest levels of child poverty in the UK.

Child poverty in Birmingham

Hall Green, Ladywood and Hodge Hill are three of the four constituencies in the UK with the highest child poverty rates, according to End Child Poverty data.

In each constituency, more than half of children are thought to be living in poverty.

Only Bethnal Green and Bow in London has a higher rate of poverty, with 56.1%.

The child poverty rates for these constituencies in Birmingham are much higher than the UK average, which is 27%.

High child poverty rates in Birmingham are partly due to large refugee and asylum seeker populations in the area, according to Donna, but it’s an issue that affects all parts of the city.

“We have families in crisis all over Birmingham. And to one family it can mean do they put the heating on or cook a warm meal for their families, how do they get their school uniforms.

“And for a lot of Birmingham children, the only hot meal they have a day is their school meal.”

And there are also other factors that contribute to a child being in poverty.

“They have no enrichment, so there’s no hobbies, there are no trips. There’s no family outings, no holidays, no treats. That is a child in poverty.”

More government money

In response to the data, a government spokesperson said the eight million most vulnerable families will be protected during the cost of living crisis, with at least £1,200 in direct payments starting from this week.

He said: “through out £37 billion support package we are saving the typical employee over £300 a year through a tax cut this month.”

“In addition, we have expanded access to free school meals more than any other government in recent decades, while vulnerable families in England are being supported by the Government’s Household Support Fund – which was recently boosted by another £500 million.”

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