Malnourishment and impacted learning: the state of child poverty in Hackney
45 per cent of children in Hackney live in poverty
That’s the revelation in a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation released this spring, which found Hackney to have the capital’s fourth highest level of child poverty. Levels were only worse in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking and Dagenham. It’s estimated that 700,000 families in London are living in poverty.
The team at Hackney Foodbank see the impact of that poverty every day – during the Easter Holidays they provided emergency lunches for 103 children in the borough who would otherwise have gone hungry. They typically feed 700 children and adults each week.
Pat Fitzsimons, CEO of Hackney Foodbank, said: “The problems are exacerbated by food prices rising at their fastest rate in 45 years and benefits failing to keep track and rents here are incredibly high. Increasingly people coming to our food bank are working poor who simply don’t earn enough to fund their basic needs.
“We see children and adults who are malnourished; often parents go without so their children can eat. It is a huge relief to know that from September all primary school children in London will receive free school meals but the school holidays bring real pressures for families and we worry greatly for secondary school children in poverty.”
The report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation is entitled ‘The Essential Guide to Understanding Poverty in the UK.’ It states: “There is evidence that suggests low incomes are associated with potential symptoms of anxiety, such as lack of sleep, lacking energy and feelings of depression. For children, even at a young age, there is a gap in young people’s educational attainment by parental income level, and this continues throughout the different stages of a child’s education.”
It stated the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged pupils had already widened during the Covid-19 pandemic, due in part to the digital divide, home learning environments and falling incomes.
The report continued: “Among working-age adults, people living in poverty are more likely to suffer from poor health more broadly."
As the cost of living crisis deepens, demand for Hackney Foodbank is increasing by an average of seven per cent per week.
The Trussell Trust and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation are calling on the Government to overhaul the benefits system by increasing Universal Credit from £85 per week to at least £120 a week to address the significant gap between the level of support people receive and their living costs.
Pat added: “As long as Universal Credit continues to fall so short of meeting people’s basic needs, children will be among those most impacted. We urgently need a fairer system.”
To support Hackney Foodbank visit:www.hackney.foodbank.org.uk/make-a-donation
Editor’s Notes
Here is a link to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report:
Describing poverty, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation states: “Poverty means not being able to heat your home, pay your rent, or buy the essentials for your children. It means waking up every day facing insecurity, uncertainty, and impossible decisions about money. It means facing marginalisation – and even discrimination.”
“There is no single best measure of poverty. It is a complex problem that needs a range of measures telling us different things”
· In assessing poverty, the JRF surveys the public to come up with a Minimum Income Standard – defining what’s sufficient income for a basic standard of living.
· The JRF also considers relative income poverty, where households have less than 60% of contemporary median income
· Material deprivation, where you can’t afford certain essential items and activities
· Destitution where you can’t afford basics such as shelter, heating and clothing.
Hackney Foodbank recently marked its 10th anniversary. They are part of a national network of foodbanks supported by the Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger in the UK.
They’re currently giving out around 700 food parcels per week (each parcel can contain enough food for a family for a few days). They operate from a warehouse in Hoxton (The Florence Bennett Centre) and have distribution points across Hackney.
For further information or to arrange an interview with Pat Fitzsimons, please contact Jenna Fansa on 07812 245118.