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Begum Helen Mirren Thousands of people have called it “heartbreaking” Children They may be facing winter without warm clothing and some families may be “afraid” of Christmas due to poverty.
The actress and Barnardo’s ambassador said many families are “living hand to mouth” as the charity’s latest research reveals as many as 300,000 children in the UK could be without a winter coat.
Almost 15 per cent of parents surveyed by YouGov for the charity said they would struggle to buy coats or warm clothes to keep their children warm this winter, while around 2 per cent of children said they did not own a winter coat.
The charity said it used ONS families and households data from 2024 combined with survey findings to estimate that more than 300,000 children in the UK could be without a winter coat and around 2.2 million parents are struggling to buy warm coats or clothes for their children.
Separately, a recent survey of Barnardo’s frontline staff found that almost half of the 870 workers surveyed said they had seen children, families and parents go without essential clothing.
Dame Helen said: “When families are living face-to-face, as so many families are in the UK today, all it takes is one thing to go wrong, and they can be in trouble. Parents are always trying to protect their children and keep them fed and warm.
“I grew up after the war and money was always very tight for us, but I was lucky because my father did not fall ill and we did not have to stop working.
“It is heartbreaking that so many children will be hungry and cold this winter, and that so many families will be dreading the festive season.
“That’s why Barnardo’s is helping families keep the heating on and the fridge full.”
The charity is one of a number of campaigning organizations that have repeatedly called for the two-child limit to be scrapped.
Expectations are high that changes to the policy – which came into effect in 2017 under the Conservative government and restricts child tax credits and universal credit to the first two children in most households – will be announced in next week’s budget.
According to the latest data up to March 2024, there were 4.45 million children in relatively low-income households – a record high for the UK since comparable records began almost two decades ago.
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “Behind the glitter of the festive season we know children will be worried about not eating enough, making do with coats that are too short and feeling deprived of the festive cheer.”
The charity is encouraging people to donate if they can and drop off any unwanted, children’s favorite winter coats to their local Barnardo’s charity shop.
Barnardo’s said 1,016 children aged six to 15 and 1,132 UK parents of children aged 18 and under were surveyed online by YouGov in October.