Families struggling in cost-of-living crisis

More than 15 per cent have difficulties meeting basic needs according a new poll

Families are “cutting back on essentials” and “skipping meals” due to the cost of living crisis, says a report from Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN).

A survey quoted in “Counting the Cost” revealed that more than 65 per cent of respondents said that rising living costs were having an impact on their families. Nearly 15 per cent said they struggled to afford basic needs, and 1.6 per cent rely on food backs.

 Nearly a quarter of respondents indicated that the two-child benefit cap had either some or a significant impact on their household finances – especially households with more than two children.

CSAN is urgently appealing to the UK government to remove the two-child cap on benefits and prioritise the reduction of child poverty in the next fiscal year.

 “We hear from families worrying about the future of their children,” said Daisy Inglese from CSAN. She said: “Behind the statistics are parents doing their best, but being failed by policies like the two-child cap, which take a further toll on their family, community, and spiritual life.”

Between March and June 2025, CSAN distributed a nationwide survey through diocesan networks, parish newsletters, and Catholic social action groups. Sixty-one participants answered a series of questions about the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the two-child cap and for insights regarding how the parish and wider church were supporting families. Only one in four respondents felt well-supported by their parish community during times of hardship. CSAN recommended the creation of parish-based “Family Hubs,” to serve the local community.

The report called for an increase in Caritas representatives at local level to coordinate anti-poverty initiatives, plus a focus on formation using the see-judge-act method to analyse the causes of poverty. Parishes are encouraged to equip parishioners to understand the structural causes of poverty and to engage in public discourse and advocacy rooted in Catholic Social Teaching.

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