Families are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the cost of living.

Barnardos has been surveying parents for the past five years on how rising prices are impacting children.

The children's charity's latest report, "The Impact of the Cost of Living on Children", found:

• Food: Twenty percent of parents said they and /or their children had to go without or cut back on food, 44% skipped meals or reduced portion size so their children would have enough to eat (up from 40% in 2025). 30% felt at some point they didn’t have enough food to feed their children (up from 28% in 2025). 16% reported using a food bank(up from 12% in 2025)

• Energy: One in five parents said they had to go without or cut back on heating (21%), an increase on 2025 with the number doing so for electricity remaining the same at 17%. Over one third (36%) said that they had gone into arrears on energy bills at some point over the past 12 months due to insufficient income (2025: 32%).

• Fuel: Over half of parents (55%) were concerned about having enough money to put fuel in their car.

• Essentials:17% cut back or went without medical/health appointments and more than one third (36%) went without or cut back on clothing.

• Debt: Two in five (39%) of parents said they had borrowed money at least once over the past 12 months. Almost one third (29%) of parents said they are always worried about being able to provide their children with essentials. Only just over one in ten parents (12%) said they never worry.

• Pressures: Only one in five parents said cost of living pressures have not negatively affected their child (21%). More than one in five parents (21%, slightly up on 19% in 2025 and 12% in 2022) said it has significantly negatively affected their children.

• Income: Parents with household incomes less than €30,000 were far more likely to go without or cut back on certain essentials compared to those with higher incomes. For example, they were four times more likely to go without or cut back on food (36% compared to 9%) those with incomes over €80k and almost double the number for those with household incomes from €30-80k (20%). Two thirds (67%)borrowed money to provide children with essentials (compared to 38% of €30-80k and 21% over €80k) and a similar number(63%) had gone into arrears on energy bills due, and one third said they had used a food bank (34%).

• One parent families: Children in one parent families are far more likely to have been significantly negatively impacted by cost of living issues than those in two parent households (32% compared to 17%). 43% were always worried about being able to provide children with daily essentials compared to 24% of two parent families.