Covid has reaped devastation and destruction and is likely to continue to be with us for some time. We may see further restrictions in the coming months and infection rates and deaths continue to be concerning. We see the beginnings of another disturbing wave across Europe and fear that this will hit the UK as the worst of the seasons is upon us. Families remain anxious in the run up to Christmas, none more so than those who have been hardest hit financially.
During the pandemic
During the course of the pandemic, the Government decided to offer an uplift of £20 weekly to those families who were struggling with increasing costs as a direct result of covid. Gas and electricity costs increased because we were all at home and for families with children, food costs increased when schools were closed. Marcus Radford successfully campaigned for meals to be provided to school children however, reports of parents misusing this system or of poor and inadequate meals, meant that many of the children who they were intended for, missed out.
The Government believe that we are in a stronger position than many other countries currently, in light of the vaccination programme and as such, that now is the time for us all to get back to some semblance of normal.
In his October budget, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak confirmed the ending of the £20 uplift for Universal Credit claimants. He made some improved changes to the amount that working claimants would receive however, for families not working and particularly those with young families, this was a bitter blow, leaving many children living in poverty.
Warnings from the experts
Experts warn that removing the boost would mean “4.4 million households, with 5.1m adults and 3.5m children, will see their incomes fall by £1,000 overnight”. (Resolution chief executive Torsten Bell). The charity Citizens Advice warned that a third of people on universal credit would end up in debt when the extra payment is removed. It said the average shortfall would be between £51 and £55 a month.
Research points to a significant link between poverty and issues that impact on parenting. Incidents of domestic abuse have already risen during the pandemic and we are seeing a crisis in mental health. The ramifications of reduced income will undoubtedly see these numbers increase further in the run up to Christmas, which is a time of increased anxiety for many parents. With many Social Work departments still not working at full capacity, children in some families are more vulnerable than ever.
Supporting those who need it this Christmas
At Advanced CCA, we recognise the challenges for these parents, some of whom will not have the financial resources to buy their children many presents this year. That’s why we are supporting Mission Christmas this year, to make sure that the most vulnerable of children enjoy the magic of Christmas and we all experience the joy of giving.
Please help us to ensure these children wake up to a gift this Christmas by clicking HERE to donate anything you can. This money will be used to buy a child a gift this Christmas. Because no child should wake up without a present under the tree at Christmas time.
Head to our social media pages to find out more about our campaign and to keep up with our fundraising efforts.
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