Families are going without basic needs like food and heat because the costs are now so high.

This week, Barnardos published their fourth annual cost-of-living report, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 parents across the country and interviews with parents in our services.

The findings are, unfortunately, as expected; a lot of families struggle to provide themselves with essentials, and a significant proportion are going without or cutting back. For example, one in five said they had to go without or cut back on electricity and a similar number said the same about food at some point over the past six months.

What Barnardos have seen across their services is how parents try and cope, the measures they have to take to make sure their households have all the basic necessities.

They generally prioritise heating, electricity and food. Families who are cutting back or going without those three items will already have cut back on other essentials, for example clothing and social activities.

These are often the first things to go, despite being a really important part of a decent childhood. Swimming lessons are cancelled for children, or they have to wait an extra month or two when they need new shoes.

One of the problems parents tell Barnardos around cost-of-living issues is that they’ve spent the last few years making as many cuts and savings as possible.

They have been budgeting very carefully, shopping around as much as possible, and the only option is to cut back further.

For many of the families we support, any sort of small safety net they had in the past is long gone. Just one unexpected bill can then be crushing.

The research also reveals that many parents have to borrow money just to provide essentials, with four out of 10 saying they needed to do so at some point over the past six months.

In their services, Barnardos see families doing this quite frequently, often informally with friends and family. Grandparents might pay for GAA costs, or siblings might help with once-off fuel bills.

However, as more families are stretched this is less of an option, so some take out overdrafts or credit union loans.

Additionally, despite all this, one-third of families still said they went into arrears on their energy bills at some point over the past six months.

This is obviously worrying because of the potential debt that can be built up, as well as the fact it means families can ultimately end up paying more for essentials due to interest.

What Barnardos know from research and from experience is the longer children go without essentials, the greater a negative impact it has on their immediate and long-term wellbeing and general development.

Some children are particularly at risk of going without, for example, those in lone-parent households or who have parents who are under 25 years old.

Most parents do as much as possible to shield their children from cost-of-living problems, both in terms of the stress and worry but also from actually going without necessities. That means parents cut back more on themselves so there’s more for their children, or trying to mask financial concerns.

Unfortunately, children will inevitably pick up on this, particularly given the length of time it has been an issue in many homes. They can see parents are having to say no more frequently but also pick up on general financial stress.

Parents tell Barnardos how much mental and physical energy it takes to always be worried about providing essentials, and that at times it takes their focus away from their children.

Most parents they spoke to, reinforced by survey statistics, regrettably said that they don’t see it improving any time soon.

Their general standard of living has worsened, and many see it as simply the new norm, which can be very disheartening. The evidence shows the Government needs to provide additional supports to help struggling families and ensure children aren’t going without.

Targeted measures aimed at those on the lowest incomes and those most at risk of going without need to be introduced, particularly for lone-family payments.

We also need to see supports for families going without and really struggling, but at the moment just outside thresholds for most, if not all, welfare supports. Far too many have been pulled into deprivation the past few years.

There has been real progress over the past few years around certain issues such as the roll out of free schoolbooks and hot school meals, both of which are making a real difference to the lives of families across the country. We need progressive actions like these to expand to focus on other issues too, most pressingly home heating.

At a period of such extreme economic wealth in this country, at the very least, every child should live in a sufficiently heated home, with enough electricity, appropriate clothing and adequate nutritious food.

Because childhood lasts a lifetime.