Almost a third of North East children worry about their family having enough money to live
Almost a third of children in the North East are worried about their family having enough money, amid rising living costs.
A new report by Action for Children found that 32% of children in our region worry about their family's finances.
The data, which follows a poll of over 5,000 adults and children, also shows 43% of young people are worried about their mental health, which is up from 19% three years ago.
The charity is now calling on the Government to produce a plan to reduce child poverty and take immediate action to support those on the lowest incomes by making sure benefits keep pace with the soaring cost of living.
Top issues North East children identified:
Encouragingly though, children in the North East do feel more optimistic about their own prospects, with over four in ten (43%) believing they will have a brighter future than their parents.
Pessimism grows through the generations however, with parents (48%) and grandparents (38%) more likely than children (23%) to say their child or grandchild won't have a brighter future.
Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns at Action for Children, said: "It is the fundamental responsibility of any government to make sure every generation of children has a better childhood and a brighter future than the last.
"Day in, day out our frontline staff support children in the North East grappling to see how they fit into our complex world - navigating big issues including financial worries, climate change and the pandemic.
"Sadly, since we conducted our research, intensifying money worries and the war in Ukraine will leave children feeling the world is a gloomier place.
"The likely fall-out of the Ukraine conflict with even higher energy bills and inflation rates not seen for a generation, is a double blow for low-income families, already locked in a crippling cost of living crisis.
"The pandemic also continues to hang heavy, and its impact will be felt long into children's futures.
"The government needs a clear plan to reduce child poverty and it can take immediate action to support those on the lowest incomes by making sure benefits keep pace with the soaring cost of living in the tough months ahead."