Coronavirus daily update: Thursday 25 June
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Struggling families are receiving £1,600 less in benefits every year than they were a decade ago, despite measures to combat the financial impact of Covid-19, a new report shows.
-
Each day, CYP Now will summarise the key issues affecting the children and families sector as it tackles the effects of the pandemic. The daily update signposts children’s services practitioners and leaders to the latest developments, expert views, advice and resources.
Struggling families ‘at breaking point’
A new report into the financial impact of Covid-19 on families already facing poverty highlights that some are now “at breaking point”, Action for Children has warned.
The Institute of Fiscal Standards new report Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2020, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundations, shows that struggling families are receiving £1,600 less in government support each year than they were a decade ago.
Imran Hussain, director of policy at Action for Children, said: “Millions of families were struggling even before the coronavirus crisis hit and now they’re quickly reaching breaking point.
“Years of crippling cuts combined with a troubled roll-out of universal credit meant many families were already fighting to keep their heads above water. The government must act now to throw a lifeline to the growing numbers of vulnerable families by scrapping the five-week wait for universal credit and increasing child benefit by £10 a week.”
Nurseries face ‘mass closures’
Nurseries could face “mass closures” without urgent government intervention, new research on the impact of Covid-19 on the early years sector has warned.
A report by the Early Years Alliance (EYA) says that parents could soon struggle to find childcare places as pre-schools, childminders and nurseries face huge financial losses.
New data modelling, commissioned by early years analysts Ceeda, shows settings are facing huge financial losses as a result of government underfunding and reduced capacity due to the pandemic.
DfE issues guidance on free school meals extension
The Department for Education has issued guidance on its ‘summer food fund’ after a successful campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford saw the government row back on plans to end free school meals over the holidays.
The guidance for schools details which children are eligible for support and how to apply for it.
Each eligible child is entitled to £90 worth of supermarket vouchers over the six week break but these must be applied for at least one week before term ends, the guidance states.
#Chances4Children: Youth group provides food boxes
A youth organisation in west London has teamed up with a food aid initiative to provide everyday provisions to young people whose parents have lost work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Young Ealing Foundation’s food distribution project is working with Southall Community Alliance and the Tej Kohli Foundation to deliver boxes of food and educational materials to hundreds of families with children in the deprived part of west London.
School fully reopens using marquees
A primary school in Swanley, Kent, has fully reopened using marquees to create more space.
We are delighted to welcome the whole school back today! A wonderful feel to have everyone back! Huge thanks to parents, staff and children for their support! @SeeOfRochester @educationgovuk @GOVUK pic.twitter.com/8yTbluPiQW
— St Paul's CoE Primary School (@StPaulsSwanley) June 22, 2020
St Paul’s Church of England Primary School shared pictures of children attending socially distanced lessons in the pop-up classrooms on Twitter.
A spokesperson for the school wrote: “We are delighted to welcome the whole school back today. A wonderful feel to have everyone back! Huge thanks to parents, staff and children for their support!”
