Young people from across Northern Ireland have described their experiences of living through the cost of living crisis and the impact it has had on their families.
The Bytes Project has compiled a report which highlights how the cost of living crisis has affected over 1,700 young people with 68% saying they have had to use a food bank in the past year and 61% saying they believe they are financially worse off compared to the start of the summer last year.
In December 2022 the youth charity carried out a survey among the young people that it works with, asking them for their experiences of the cost of living crisis with many saying that they were worried about their and their family's financial situation.
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Those who took part in the report were aged between 11 and 25. The key findings from it where:
- 61% of young people feel they are ‘financially worse off’ than at the start of summer 2022
- 74% of bill paying young people are either worried or very worried about their ability to meet the rising cost of living
- And 68% of non-bill paying young people are worried or very worried about their parents/guardians’ ability to meet rising costs.
The Bytes Project said that the fact that 68% of respondents said that they had accessed a foodbank in the past year, suggests "a widespread and significant problem with finances for young people and their families, as Food Banks can only be accessed through referral schemes from a GP, school, specialist charity or Citizen’s Advice."
It said: "These findings reveal widespread worry and anxiety among young people in Northern Ireland, regardless of whether they are personally responsible for household bills, as well as a general perception of being personally less well off."
Young people said that fuel, public transport and energy were the three main rising costs they have experienced and one third of those who took part said they had cut back on leisure activities to reduce spending.
Some of the responses young people gave to the report highlighted their fears around finances and the sacrifices families have had to make as a result of the cost of living crisis.
One said: "We had no heating for over a week, the oil run out and we had to wait until the end of the month to get it – I hated it I didn’t feel clean or warm or anything.
Another highlighted the guilt they feel for using their parents' money with another saying: "I am very worried for my Mummy. [My parents] are paying for my phone and still giving me some money, but I know it’s tough for her and it makes me feel guilty. But I am doing A Levels and the pay is so low for people my age, it’s not even worth it”.
Another said: "I feel anxious for my parent when I leave my phone charging all night by accident."
Travel costs and low wages were also concerns for young people with one saying: "I was never so happy to get a local placement so I can walk because I was really worried that if I had to travel I would need more money.
Another said: "“I have [taken on extra work to earn more money] but see at the end of the day, what is the point? People my age are working for less than £5. If I get a coffee and a chocolate bar, I am basically working an hour for free. Like, what is the point?”.
Commenting on the research, Bytes Project CEO Stephen Dallas said that the report highlights what youth workers have known for some time and that the mental and physical health of young people is deteriorating due to the cost of living crisis.
He said: "Working with young people from across Northern Ireland, we had been hearing them describe the difficulties that they are their families were having as a result of the cost of living crisis and felt that it was important to highlight the issue in more depth and allow them to tell us what they have been going throuhg.
"We had a huge response to the initial survey and working with other organisations we were able to speak with young people about their experiences and some of their responses showing the stark consequences of the rise in the cost of living.
"It feels like we have gone back 20 or 30 years and you have to think about what has gone wrong for us to get to this point, where young people are having to go to their grandparents house for a shower because their parents can't afford heating or hot water.
"We are thankful to all the young people who took part in creating this report and they have a very clear message about what households across Northern Ireland are going through."
The Bytes Project is a youth work charity that has been working with the most vulnerable young people in Northern Ireland for nearly three decades.
It provides employment services and support to young people, however much of this work is coming under threat due to the loss of the European Social Fund at the beginning of April.
The loss of ESF funding will impact hundreds of organisations in the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland.
Stephen said that this will effect many vulnerable young people who will lose out on vital support when it is needed the most.
He continued: "The loss of ESF funding for services will really hit vulnerable young people at a time when they need all of the help that they can get.
"This and the cost of living crisis will be like a double whammy for them come April 1 as they could lose vital employment services that are helping them to get jobs and support themselves."
The Bytes Project Report 'Cost of Living: Views from Young People' will be officially launched at Kells and Connor Community Centre, Ballymena on Friday, March 24.
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