News from Marina Ahmad: The reality facing London’s children

Poverty, hunger, homelessness: The stark reality facing London’s children laid bare

London’s children are facing poverty, hunger and homelessness as the cost of living crisis hits home, Labour’s London Assembly Economy Spokesperson Marina Ahmad has warned. A series of crushing reports reveal a third of the capital’s kids are living in poverty, food prices are up nearly 10% and inflation is at a 40-year high. Energy bills and the price of fuel have soared hitting the poorest households hardest. Ms Ahmad AM is concerned “the worst is yet to come” and is calling for the Government to take “immediate action” to protect our children’s future with “families facing a brutal squeeze”.

One in three children in London, 600,000 youngsters, are living in poverty, according to the End Child Poverty coalition’s latest figures. Five London boroughs are in the top ten UK authorities with the highest rate of child poverty. More than half of children growing up in Tower Hamlets were found to be living in poverty, the figure is more than 40% in Barking and Dagenham, Hackney, Newham and Waltham Forest. Greenwich and Brent also make the top 20. The Londonwide figure is 35% against a national average of 27%. While rates fell slightly in 2020/21, that fall coincided with the temporary £20 uplift in Universal Credit, which has now been removed.

After a backlash against The National Food Strategy, the Government announced £18 million to fund free infant school meals – that’s an increase of just 7p per meal nationwide, and it failed to keep up with inflation and the huge increase in food costs, leaving schools with £2.41 to spend per meal, when they should get £2.57.

With the school term for many London children coming to an end parents will be wondering how they will feed their children as the Government’s holiday activities and food programme only covers around half of the summer break.

The Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) said food banks were having to cut down on the size of parcels and fear they will soon be turning families away due to a surge in demand. Charity chiefs called on Ministers to extend free school meal eligibility and payments available. They’re worried about the threadbare safety net during the school holidays after the Government ended a national free school meal voucher scheme last year.

Following a question by Ms Ahmad at Mayor’s Question Time on Thursday (21^st July), Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, reiterated calls on the Government for universal free school meals and the restoration of a meal voucher system over the summer holidays. City Hall is working with Councils to try and make sure no kid goes hungry and are providing meals at a variety of summer schemes, said the Mayor.

The UK inflation rate hit 9.4% in the year to June, the highest level since February 1982 and is predicted to reach 11% by the Autumn. Real wages have fallen at the fastest rate in the UK since records began.

Office for National Statistic (ONS) figures show the price of food rose by 9.8% in the year to June. The Resolution Foundation said the poorest tenth of households are effectively experiencing an inflation rate of 10.6% because they spend a greater proportion of their income of food and fuel. With food inflation rising faster than the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the average change in the cost of a basket of consumer goods, London’s child poverty rate and food insecurity is expected to increase.

The Government has said it was providing extra support for struggling families through a £37 billion package, including two cost of living instalments of £650 for the most vulnerable, while London get £33m to fund holiday activities and food programmes.

Labour’s London Assembly Economy Spokesperson, Marina Ahmad AM, said:

“Families are facing a brutal squeeze. Parents are wracked with worry about how they’ll feed their children and keep them warm this winter as more people are pushed towards poverty and homelessness.

“And the worst is yet to come. The continued spiral of the cost of living crisis could have catastrophic consequences for children’s development. We need immediate action from the Government to protect their future.

“Ministers must reinstate the Universal Credit uplift, bring benefits up in line with inflation, reverse the rise in National Insurance and take VAT off energy bills.

“Their Levelling Up Fund doesn’t even mention tackling child poverty. I’m urging the Government to reassess the benefit cap, the unfair Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit two-child limit and extend free school meals.”

ENDS