1 week Ago
A survey has revealed that almost four in ten parents in Yorkshire and the Humber are rationing their heating to save money. The National Parent Survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the parenting charity Parentkind, found that 36 per cent of parents in the region are limiting their heating. Parentkind claims that this means an estimated 316,000 children in the region "could be at risk of living in cold, damp homes.
" The survey also found that 30 per cent of parents in the region are struggling financially, with 21 per cent getting into debt each month. Meanwhile, one in four parents in the region are worried about paying their rent or mortgage, and 12 per cent have taken out a loan or debt (such as via credit card) to pay for school costs in the last 12 months. Parents in Yorkshire and the Humber are the most likely in the UK to go hungry to save money, according to the survey, with 23 per cent saying they have skipped a meal in the last year compared with a national average of 17 per cent.
Worries about the cost of uniforms (47 per cent), school trips (40 per cent), and meals and drinks (29 per cent) were also cited by the region's parents. Support for universal free school meals was high amongst parents in the region, at 75 per cent. The survey also highlighted concerns about screen time, with 49 per cent of Yorkshire and the Humber parents whose children use an electronic device outside of school saying they are concerned with the amount of time spent on screens.
Regarding parents' mental health, 19 per cent of parents in the region reported having had poor mental health over the past 12 months. Of those, 66 per cent have withdrawn from friends, 59 per cent have withdrawn from family, and 45 per cent have visited a GP or other health practitioner regarding their mental health. Parentkind CEO Jason Elsom said: "Many parents are struggling to make ends meet and have only a few hundred pounds left in the bank for a rainy day.
"It’s no wonder the cost of school worries parents, with all the little extras adding up. "The National Parent Survey is one of the biggest parent polls in Britain and is a wake up call to policy makers to put parents first." Findings from the survey can be explored at https://www.
parentkind.org.uk/research-and-policy/parent-research/parent-voice-reports/national-parent-survey-2024.
