In Focus: Fair4Families campaign
Anne Longfield
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
4Children examines the tough circumstances faced by families in 2013
Insight: Families suffer as cost of living rises
We know from the families that we have had contact with that meeting the everyday costs of living, such as food, rent or mortgage, bills, petrol and heating is becoming increasingly difficult.
While the cost of living has increased, the average family income has remained the same or decreased. The case of one family from Leeds that has been in touch with 4Children offers an insight into the situation of many families facing financial concerns. They lost their children’s tax credit this year and are now struggling to make ends meet. They have used all their savings and are now using their overdraft. They have changed their shopping habits by switching to a cheaper supermarket, buying only essentials and eating less expensive foods like meat and fresh produce. The family is also being careful with heating and ensuring they are all in the house before putting it on.
But they have no long-term plan of how they will cope financially.
Anne Longfield is chief executive of 4 Children
In Depth: Children deserve protection from further cuts
Families in Britain have arrived at a crossroads in 2013. Facing an unprecedented squeeze on their finances as a result of job insecurity, salary reductions, welfare reforms and the rising cost of necessities such as food, petrol and childcare, it is clear that the status quo is unsustainable. Intervention to rescue families from the brink is now essential.
A campaign has been launched to call on the government to invest in the country’s greatest asset. Fair4Families argues that families are a major untapped resource and that the Chancellor needs to put them at the top of his agenda.
The Fair4Families campaign is led by 4Children and demands that the Chancellor’s comprehensive spending review:
- Recognises families are assets that can contribute to our economic and social recovery with the right support. This should include: an ambitious vision for supporting families, including childcare, so that more parents can contribute to economic growth; greater investment in housing to give more people the chance to realise their dream of a home fit for a family; a real shift in spending from ineffective late intervention to early intervention; and a credible strategy to begin to eradicate child poverty.
- Protects crucial services for families with children from further spending reductions for the spending review period.
- Puts a stop to spending reductions achieved through real-terms cuts to benefits paid to families with children.
Pensioners have been rightly protected from many austerity measures and now benefit from a “triple lock”, which means that the state pension will rise by inflation, average earnings or 2.5 per cent – whichever is higher.
By contrast, families with children are being asked to meet the rising cost of living in the face of shrinking household incomes and real-terms cuts to benefits such as tax credits, child benefit and maternity and paternity pay. Campaign supporters recognise that there are many competing demands on government and that tough decisions must be made.
However, happy, stable, well supported families are a real asset for our country and with the right support can make a major contribution to our economic and social recovery.
Fair4Families argues that children have contributed their fair share to reducing the deficit, and now they need a “triple lock” too, with no further cuts to spending on services; no further cuts to benefits for families; and a positive offer for the future on key issues such as housing and childcare.
In Figures
Research carried out by 4Children in December revealed that people with children are concerned about the following issues in 2013:
- 75% are concerned they will be affected by the rising cost of living
- 18% are concerned about redundancy
- 33% are worried about capped, frozen or reduced salaries
- 29% feel anxious about personal debt
- 5% are fearful of having their home repossessed
- 35% are worried about changes to welfare support
- 18% are worried about reduced local support (health, family and community services)