A new report has demonstrated just how dire the poverty situation is in Wales. The data, gathered by YouGov on behalf of the Bevan Foundation, has shown that the majority of people in Wales are now cutting back on essential items. Between January and July 57% of people cut back on heating, electricity, and/or water, 51% cut back on clothing for adults, 45% cut back on transport costs, and 39% cut back on food for adults.
Nearly four in 10 Welsh households do not have enough money to buy anything beyond everyday items. This is a deterioration from the position in May when the figure stood at 33%. This means that the total number of households struggling to cover the cost of everyday essentials has increased from approximately 110,000 in May to 165,000.
Read more: Children grow up in poverty in the shadow of Wales' greatest wealth
While families all over Wales are feeling the squeeze thousands have already hit breaking point. More than one in eight Welsh households either sometimes or often struggle to afford everyday items. When this is combined with data from the Welsh Government’s household estimates it suggests that as many as 180,000 households struggle to afford items such as heating, food, and toiletries.
According to Dr Steffan Evans of the Bevan Foundation this situation is not likely to get better and may get worse. He said: "Surging costs and sluggish income growth means that families all over Wales are feeling the pinch. The latest data points to a significant deterioration from the position in November 2021 when the Bevan Foundation undertook its last snapshot survey and, with costs continuing to rise, there is every reason to fear that things could deteriorate further.”
This hardship is not necessarily falling evenly across society with the latest data suggesting that more than three in 10 households with a net income of less than £40,000 have seen their income drop since May 2021 whereas with households with a net income of more than £40,000 more than one in five have seen their incomes increase.
WalesOnline recently spent a month in Cardiff's Riverside area. The is the part of Wales with the highest levels of child poverty but is literally just a stone's throw from Wales' greatest wealth. You can read our special report here.
Perhaps most alarmingly of all the data highlights that the number of households with children that are reporting cutting back on food for surged since November 2021. Between January and July one in 10 people in households with one child and one in five people in households with two children (20%) reported cutting back on food for children (up from 6% and 10% respectively).
Reacting to the latest data the Bevan Foundation’s director, Dr Victoria Winckler, said: “The latest data provides a sobering reminder of the very real human impact of the cost of living crisis on families in Wales. With families now cutting back on food for children this crisis will be felt for years to come. It is vital that we take action now to protect people ahead of what is set to be an incredibly difficult winter.”
What are the other findings from the research?
Losing homes - More than one in 20 households are worried about losing their home over the next three months. Some 6% of households have already been told that they will lose their home. This is equivalent to more than 80,000 households being forced to seek a new home.
Personal debt is a major problem - Since May 2021 some 25% of Welsh households have borrowed money while 12% of Welsh households are at least one month behind on a bill.
Vulnerable people are most at risk - Given that low-income households, disabled people, and renters are among the groups that find it most difficult to find enough money to cover the cost of day-to-day items it is not surprising that they are among the groups that have been most likely to have to cut back over recent months.
The future doesn't look bright - 29% of people expect to cut back on their heating, electricity, and/or water over the next three months (was 11% in May) while 22% expect to cut back on food for adults over the next three months (11% in May) and 22% expect to cut back on clothing for adults over the next three months (12% in May).
Dr Evans added: “Whilst the cost of living crisis is having an impact on all families in Wales it is clear that the crisis is also deepening existing inequalities with households that were already facing the highest risk of living in poverty being the most affected. The fact that nearly four in 40 households that are in receipt of universal credit either sometimes or often struggle to afford everyday items shows why we need to take action to ensure that the social security system provides a real safety net for families more than ever.”
Do the public support action to tackle this problem?
The short answer is yes. Among the potential measures to help tackle the problem the Bevan Foundation found there was public support for:
- Providing emergency money to all families struggling as a result of loss of income or a crisis (71% in favour)
- Investing in schools to close the attainment gap between children (68% in favour)
- Building more social housing (67% in favour)
- Provide more funding for young people aged 16-18 who want to continue in education/training (66% in favour)
- Capping social rents (59% in favour)
- The provision of additional help to support people with council tax (58% in favour)
- Provide free school meals for every child (55% in favour)
- Provide free part-time childcare for all children from nine months (50% in favour)
- Replacing council tax with a local tax system (40% in favour)
The report said: "It is encouraging to see that the Welsh Government has already committed to take at least some action in relation to many of these measures. This latest data should therefore provide the Welsh Government with confidence that it is on the right tracks and that the public would support action to implement policies such as the provision of free school meals to all children in primary schools as quickly as possible. The data does suggest that the public would support the Welsh Government if it took even greater action."
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