A Birmingham charity leader has said children come to them without coats or food, as families face “additional pressure” from the cost-of-living crisis. And some kids who bring packed lunches are eating “unstuffed sandwiches,” he said.
Spurgeons, a children’s charity that supports more than 750 young carers in Birmingham, has also received calls from families asking for help with “school uniforms they can’t afford”. He told of a young caregiver, just 14 years old, who had to negotiate with gas companies to get better rates and payment plans, since English is not his parents’ first language.
“We’re definitely seeing the impact of some of the financial pressures families are under at the moment,” Jo Martin, service leader, told BirminghamLive as she highlighted the work of people she supports on Carers Day of Action. Youths.
Read more: ‘Mom died when I was 11 years old, now I help cook, clean and take care of my family’
“We know a lot of families are struggling right now, the cost of living crisis is hard on everyone, and obviously when there’s a disability or illness in that household, it adds to that, increases that pressure.”
Spurgeons offers practical and emotional support for young caregivers, with everything from first aid training and counseling to providing family days off and help with housing and the right benefits. Events where children can ‘just be children’, away from the pressures of being a young carer for your family members, are also key to the charity’s support.
“Some of the young carers come to events and can’t bring a packed lunch, we try to provide that, or they come with very basic bread and butter instead of a stuffed sandwich, that’s what parents can afford.” Jo said.
“Some of our young carers came to events during the winter and didn’t have proper coats or heavy coats. Children lose them at school and parents say they just can’t afford to replace them.”
“We have families calling us to say they can’t buy new shoes for school, so they just get by.
“One of our young carers has said that his parents don’t speak English very well. He is a young carer for his father and since his mother doesn’t speak English very well, he is the one who, at the age of 14, calls the utility company “. companies, trying to negotiate better rates or payment plans and things like that.
In general, many families will now choose not to turn on the heat or reduce the amount of food they cook, he said. But for those with family members who are sick or disabled, who depend on machines, decent meals or heat for their health, it is almost impossible to cut public services.
“When you have someone in the home with a disability or illness who can be negatively affected by cold, damp or not eating properly, the pressure is there,” he said.
“And if they’re at home all day sitting in a chair, they have to have the heat on or they might have medical machines to turn on.” So there is all that “additional use”.
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Days with family have gotten a lot more difficult for young caregivers and their families. He added: “Usually things cost a lot more (like a disabled or sick family). If they want to leave as a family, it may well cost more because they have to book things with special facilities or taxis, so they’re just not there.” doing that kind of thing now.”
Are you a young caregiver or a family member? If you need help, you can find more information about Spurgeons here.
Has the cost of living crisis affected you? We would like to know about you. You can contact us by sending an email to [email protected]
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