Cost of living crisis: Birmingham mums skipping meals to feed children, according to MP

Concerning figures show families in three of Birmingham’s 10 constituencies are set to be some of the worst affected by the cost of living crisis
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Birmingham Hodge Hill MP Liam Byrne has said that many mothers in his constituency “skip meals to feed their children” as the cost of living crisis grips the country.

Many households in major cities have been left financially vulnerable by the coronavirus pandemic, with high-cost debts and little in the way of savings, and families in three of Birmingham’s 10 constituencies are set to be among the worst affected in the country.

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Research from debt collection company Lowell and the US-based Urban Institute think-tank shows that families in Hodge Hill, Ladywood, and Erdington are in the top five constituencies in the UK set to be hardest hit by the crisis.

Hodge Hill MP Liam ByrneHodge Hill MP Liam Byrne
Hodge Hill MP Liam Byrne

“The government has failed to rise to the new challenges of a post-Covid economy”

In a statement issued toBirminghamWorld, Mr Byrne, said: “This Cost of Living Crisis will mean colder homes for kids and pensioners and longer queues for food-banks.

“Britain’s poorest will bear the brunt of a crisis created by this government, with an almost unprecedented cut in living standards because sky-high inflation wasn’t matched by any uprating of benefits like Universal Credit or state pensions.

“Already too many mms in my constituency skip meals to feed their children and too many pensioners are scared to turn on the heating.

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“Meanwhile, the recent budget did nothing to help public services cope with rising inflation, we’re now going to see primary schools laying off staff and longer waiting times for GP’s and hospitals.

“This government had failed to rise to the new challenges of a post-Covid, war-ravaged global economy and a country still struggling to adjust to Brexit. While Labour has a plan, with a one-off tax on the record profits of gas companies to pay for support to bring energy bills down and an increase in Universal Credit to help the worst off in our city.”

What does the research show?

The researchers’ Financial Vulnerability Index scores an area from 1 to 100, with higher numbers signifying greater financial vulnerability.

It combines analysis of Lowell’s 9.5 million customer accounts with official statistics from the UK Government and Office for National Statistics.

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It is based on six components that capture a household’s ability to manage daily finances and resist economic shocks: carrying debt in default, using alternative financial products such as payday loans, claiming work-related benefits, lacking emergency savings, holding a high-cost loan and relying heavily on credit.

In the UK, Walton, Liverpool, has the highest financial vulnerability score (67.8).

This is followed by Middlesbrough (66.9), with Birmingham, Hodge Hill, in third, with a financial vulnerable score of 65.1.

And Birmingham Erdington (64.1), and Ladywood (64) make up the top five areas in the UK with the highest financial vulnerability score in the UK.

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Birmingham, Perry Parr, is 12th on the list with a financial vulnerability score of 62.

Every Birmingham constituency also has a worse financial vulnerability score than the UK average of 45.1.

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