{"id":8382,"date":"2023-10-20T13:48:58","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T13:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cookingwithdia.com\/?p=8382"},"modified":"2023-10-20T13:48:58","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T13:48:58","slug":"three-in-ten-struggling-to-feed-their-household-due-to-financial-struggles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cookingwithdia.com\/everyday-meals\/three-in-ten-struggling-to-feed-their-household-due-to-financial-struggles\/","title":{"rendered":"Three in ten struggling to feed their household due to financial struggles"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Three in ten adults are currently struggling to feed their household due to financial difficulties, a study has found. The research, of 2,000 adults, revealed 29 percent admit they find it difficult to ensure there is always enough food on the table \u2013 but over a quarter (26 percent) claim they have never asked for help.<\/p>\n

As a result, 59 percent have cut back on electric and gas, while 54 percent have had to borrow money from friends and family, and one in ten have used a foodbank to help them get by.<\/p>\n

The research was commissioned by Kellogg\u2019s, which is offering schools across the UK grants of \u00a31,000, to invest in any aspect of their breakfast clubs \u2013 including equipment, food, and learning materials.<\/p>\n

This comes as 18 percent of parents who participated in the poll admit their children don\u2019t always have breakfast.<\/p>\n

And a separate study of 745 teachers, also by the cereal maker, found 29 percent bring food into class each day \u2013 just in case they notice a pupil hasn\u2019t eaten.<\/p>\n

Heather Murphy, Kellogg\u2019s breakfast club manager, said: \u201cAs we enter the colder months, sadly many parents will be worrying about their heating and food bills.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why breakfast clubs are so important \u2013 they\u2019re by no means the solution to financial struggles, but they can at least alleviate them to a small extent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study also found 70 percent of those who\u2019ve struggled to keep their household fed have yet to rely on the help of others or utilise any schemes like breakfast clubs.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But of those who have sent their children to breakfast clubs, 14 percent do so every school day, while 32 percent use the scheme three to four days a week, and 36 per cent one to two times weekly.<\/p>\n

And more than half (55 percent) say their littles ones are attending them more often now than they were 12 months ago \u2013 with stretched family budgets named as the main reason for relying on such initiatives (17 percent).<\/p>\n

Demanding lifestyles are also a factor \u2013 specifically, not having enough time in the morning (16 percent), and needing to get to work early (51 percent).<\/p>\n

But another 17 percent of parents believe the food served at breakfast clubs is \u201cbetter\u201d than the food they\u2019re able to provide themselves.<\/p>\n

Further underlining the importance of these schemes, more than two-thirds (68 percent) said their breakfast club closing would result in them having to work less, or stop altogether.<\/p>\n

Heather Murphy added: \u201cWe are proud to have supported thousands of breakfast clubs up and down the country for 25 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey contribute vastly to improving children\u2019s school attendance and attainment, as well as alleviating hunger in some cases. It\u2019s not just the children that benefit \u2013 it\u2019s a lifeline for parents, too.\u201d<\/p>\n