A charity leader warns kids are “stealing” and “starving” as child poverty worsens over Christmas period, with an ex-teacher moved to tears after spending “half of their wages” on feeding primary school aged kids.
There are 4.3million children living in poverty in the UK. School closures for the Christmas holidays brings concerns of kids going hungry, as a shocking 2.7m children experienced food insecurity in June this year, reports Arla. Campaigners fear this may get worse over the Christmas period as schools shut.
There was also a 36% rise in energy demand to stay warm in winter compared to summer, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which may also put a strain on parents’ pockets in the Christmas season.
Child Poverty Action Group’s (CPAG) CEO Alison Garnham said: “Christmas can be especially tough for families in poverty with no school meals to fall back on and no money for extras or children’s treats. But year-round, nine children in every class of 30 are experiencing poverty and things need to change urgently.
“The government can turn things round for children if it’s prepared to be bold. Scrapping the two-child limit on benefits and extending free school meals eligibility should be its first action points.”
Child poverty levels have increased since the 2010 Labour government, with 730,000 more children living in poor households. The government is under pressure to ditch the two-child benefit cap, which prevents people from claiming Child Tax Credits or Universal Credit for more than two children, and to extend availability of free school meals.
Ex-primary school teacher Ruth Cierniak, 32, revealed she spent half her wages on feeding and clothing her students as the child poverty crisis worsened. Ruth told the Mirror: “I was spending half of my wage, if not more, on the cereals, foods and things like that, making sure they were all fed and happy. Part of it was on clothes,” she says, adding children broke down in tears due to extreme hunger.
Ruth explained: “We had a child who burst into tears after lunch, absolutely sobbing his heart out. We finally managed to get it out of him that he was, you know, really, really hungry. And he said because he was told not to say because his mum was embarrassed, and he hadn’t eaten since lunch time the day before. Nothing at home, no food at home. She didn’t have anything to send him in with.”
Ruth, based in Staffordshire, became emotional because of the poor condition of her pupils: “I would go home and I’d sob to my husband… I would prioritise putting my wage into the classroom, as opposed to my own family because… I couldn’t see 30 children all struggling.
Ruth described how the kids would hastily eat the food they received as “they hadn’t eaten that day, they didn’t know when they were going to be fed again”. She added: “We would often get together little hampers ready for the summer holidays so that families didn’t have to worry about feeding their child,” she says, explaining she is “fearful” kids may go hungry over this Christmas holiday.
Ruth, who advocates for accessibility to education via ‘My Voice Matters’, said children were without essential clothes in winter. “Children from across all year groups I’ve seen that don’t own hats, don’t own scarves, don’t own gloves, and when you offer them, these children, things in my classroom, their look on their face is like kind of ‘Really, for me?’.”
Mum-of-one Ruth expressed how it broke her to see kids deprived of necessities: “It was heartbreaking seeing them not be able to be dressed and clothed, and the basic needs that we so so rely on. You cannot learn without these basic needs being met fundamentally, so many children were losing out on that and it would break my heart.”
Ex-drug dealer turned bishop Mick Fleming runs the anti-poverty charity ‘Church on the Street’ in Burnley to help support struggling families. There is an alarming number of children coming to him in terrible condition, he said.
Mick explained: “It reduces you to tears… We’ve got children going into school and stealing food from other children’s lunch boxes because they don’t have any food. We’ve got children constantly going into the toilets, putting paper towels into their shoes because they’re leaking so their feet are wet all through. We’ve got children walking miles to school with no coats at all… We’ve seen hungry children coming to us for food…we’ve seen a huge increase in the need for children.”
Pastor Mick was shocked when a child suggested they only ate food at school. “One little girl did once say to me…’Don’t be silly, Pastor Mick, we only eat at school…’ and she laughed. It didn’t click. I really didn’t understand what she was talking about… So that was what really woke me up. She didn’t know that she was poor…that’s the saddest thing. That’s what breaks your heart the most.”
Pastor Mick, author of ‘Blown Away: From Drug Dealer to Life Bringer’, was saddened that British people are “blind” to children “starving” in a “war right under your nose”.
He continued: “We look at people from the addicted and homeless community. We largely forget these people have got children…that have been born into poverty and trapped in it.” He explained: “It’s a horrendous epidemic. It’s an absolute epidemic, and it’s a disgrace. It’s a blot on this nation. And men and women who are of faith, from any background should be speaking out about it.
“It’s heartbreaking… It makes you ask questions of what’s happening in society…The growth (in poverty) in children is off the scale…the increase over the last 10 years is unbelievable.”
Ten-year-old Prime Minister-to-be of the Sir David Amess UK Children’s Parliament, Naila Seetal, said: “Child poverty is an emergency. Too many children come to school hungry, cold, or ashamed because they don’t have what they need. This isn’t just unfair — it’s unacceptable.
“It feels like the government isn’t listening, and it’s children who are suffering for decisions they didn’t make. How can we build a strong country when so many kids are struggling with day-to-day needs? Every child deserves food, warmth, and a fair chance to succeed. It’s time to stop ignoring child poverty and start taking real action.”
A Government spokesperson said: “We are developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, led by a taskforce co-chaired by the Education Secretary and Work and Pensions Secretary, looking at how to increase household income, bring down essential costs, and tackle the negative experience of living in poverty.
“We understand the pressures households are facing, and that is why we are taking action to deliver our mission of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances of every child.
“This comes alongside plans to roll out free breakfast clubs in every primary school so children start the day ready to learn, and our Holiday Activities and Food programme, which runs over the school holidays for children on free school meals.”
