Challenges Faced by Families in Northern Ireland: Welfare System Experiences and Cost of Living

Families in Northern Ireland share their struggles with the welfare system and the rising cost of living. Despite efforts to manage on limited benefits, cuts have made it increasingly difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis have exacerbated these challenges, leaving parents to try various ways to make ends meet.

• Northern Ireland
• Welfare System
• Cost of Living
• Families
• Challenges

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1. Its Hard to Survive Families' experiences of the welfare system and the cost of living in Northern Ireland

2. WHAT WERE DOING May June 2022 October 2022 January 2023 Rapid Evidence review Interviews with 24 families across Northern Ireland about experiences of welfare system and cost of living Two focus groups with parents to get views on what welfare system should do Focus groups with partners and others to identify ways to change policy

3. Across Northern Ireland, we spoke to: An average 3 children per household (up to a maximum of 10 children in one household) 23 mothers and two fathers 13 single parent households The youngest child was 6 months old 6 households that had adult children living with them 11 two parent households

4. THE MAIN POINTS One size (doesn t) fit all It s not enough Harming rather than helping? Passing responsibility

5. ITS NOT ENOUGH Parents told us that: Money has been tight on benefits for a while but they ve often managed to get by Cuts to benefits over the years have made things more difficult The COVID-19 pandemic made things more difficult and the 20 uplift in Universal Credit was helpful, but didn t make a huge difference Over the last year or so, the cost of living crisis has increased the price of almost everything Incomes (wages and benefits) have stayed in the same or reduced Parents are trying to save money in all sorts of ways but don t know how they are going to get by

6. ITS NOT ENOUGH A couple of months ago for 20 pounds now probably I'm going to spend 40 or 45 on the total, you know? Like with nappies, meal milks, breads, rice, pasta, and everything else. It's not enough anyway to cover what I need it s not enough to cover the house it's not enough to cover the groceries or if my car if it breaks down tomorrow. (Amelia Mother of five children) (Emily single mother of three children) I'm on a day-to-day basis, especially with like oil and electric it's like literally put the tenner in and beeping again there's no chance for me to actually build it up and keep it safe and secure. How do we find budgeting? We just do our best, it's very, very difficult I really don't know how to answer that question. (Robert Father of four children) (Ellie Single mother of one child)

7. ITS NOT ENOUGH I worry, especially having a daughter, I want to give her the best of everything and it's impossible Oh, it is frustrating! Because you want you want to be able to give yourself and your children the best life you can and you're tired and, you know, you're stuck paying out shopping, gas, and electric you know, what does that leave for [your] family and spending quality time with them. (Ellie single mother of one child) (Erin Single mother of two children) It's just difficult you know, you ve always got the answer, I'm sorry, we don't have money sorry, we don't have enough money. (Robert Father of four children)

8. ONE SIZE (DOESNT) FIT ALL Parents told us that: Each family had different (and often complicated) lives Along with common challenges of making ends meet, many families also faced other challenges like long term health conditions, disabilities, mental health issues, experiences of being in care as a child In contrast, the welfare system wasn t very flexible and didn t offer personal support Applying and communicating is mostly online and communication isn t often with the same person This worked for many but when things went wrong or where they had extra challenges it caused problems There were lots of problems for people whose income was made up from work and benefits as this often caused their income to go up and down

9. ONE SIZE (DOESNT) FIT ALL It is frustrating, but I have sort of found ways of navigating the system It s just finding ways to work around it. But I know that it wouldn t say to everybody, and everybody s not like technological savvy That roboticness needs to be addressed. Some people like the system, other people don't, some people's situation or circumstances are more straightforward than others there's no room for explaining or you know, circumstances that are outside of what's listed it should be person centred. (Daisy Single mother of one child) (Lily Single mother of two children) The Universal Credit system sort of puts people into boxes But not always does it fit into those sorts of categories? And like, there is more complicated situations? It s very, very bureaucratic I mean, very, very bureaucratic. (Daisy single parent of one) (Fiadh Mother of five children)

10. ONE SIZE (DOESNT) FIT ALL During lockdown, the library closed and Fiadh really struggled to be able to manage her benefits Fiadh doesn t have a smartphone and struggles with anything involving IT Fiadh also struggles with anxiety and depression She also gets help from her local library Fiadh is a mother of five children When she applied for PIP she had to ask her brother to help

11. HARMING RATHER THAN HELPING? Parents told us: Many faced administrative errors or mistakes with their benefits Others also talked about problems with the design of the system such as the five week wait for the first Universal Credit payment People in work talked about when wages went up or down it caused problems with rent payments because their Universal Credit payments changed Rather than making families lives less complicated, the system seemed to add other complications In turn, rather than helping them meet their costs, it added more debt

12. HARMING RATHER THAN HELPING? I had to get my parents to help me out to get my rent money deposit because I hadn t even the deposit and first month s rent so that was tricky. If I didn't have any family support, I don't know what I would have done Yeah, I was stuck. I was really stuck because I only had like 100 pound in the bank at that time. I couldn t have done it I went into full-time work For about eight months I had pay for three school meals then I had to pay the buses and then aww it was awful. I was getting the extra pay I had to pay it out, so I was working all hours and wasn't benefitting from it. (Erin Single mother of two children) (Emily Single mother of three children) With creches, you're paying in advance, but with Universal Credit you're a month behind I'm going to be requesting full- time place for the whole like five days a week [I m] paying that now, but I won't get it back until the following month. This month, I'll only be getting the money that I paid for my June fees, but yet I will be paying for my July fees. The reason why obviously Universal Credit stopped for me was we were struggling a wee bit, so he changed to night shift. So he could make more, which is why Universal Credit stopped then. (Daisy single mother of one child) (Ella Mother of three children)

14. PASSING RESPONSIBILITY? Parents told us that: They don t receive enough money to cover their costs and trying to work more hours at work can make things worse The benefits system wasn t flexible and it was difficult to find personal support Policies like the two child limit weren t morally right As a result, we heard of people relying on charities, community groups, families, and friends for financial, practical, and emotional support to get by This led us to ask the question about whether the Government was fulfilling its responsibility to provide people with the support they need to survive and thrive

15. PASSING RESPONSIBILITY? Begged and borrowed from family, friends you know The thing, which is a problem for me is that the third child, {I} don't get nothing. So my wee girl she's born after some year, and she's not allowed to eat or have new shoes or new clothes, because [the] benefit is not for her? So that mean, I should snip myself after the second child and don't have any more because the benefits can t help me with the third or fourth one? (Lily Single mother of two children) Yeah, it's not easy . If it wasn't [for] [organisation], like helping me with all my benefits and everything, all these past few years? I don't know. What will be the point today you know? (Charlotte Single mother of four children) (Amelia Mother of five children) Thank God for this hostel they have food banks, they have food, and people in here (Katie Single mother of three children)

16. PASSING RESPONSIBILITY? The support Daisy gets from UC for childcare is paid in arrears, meaning she has to find the money in advance each month Daisy is a single mother of one child. They live in a rural area. Daisy was in care as a child and now works part time and is completing a masters degree Daisy s student loan causes problems with her benefits because it comes in as a lump sum This means Daisy needs to pay for travel to get to work and University Daisy s son has autism spectrum disorder Daisy finds the online UC system ok but regularly needs to speak to a real person to sort out these issues and can t As a result, he will only eat certain types of food this means her food bills are higher

17. Thanks Thanks For more information contact p.bryson@savethechildren.org.uk j.finnegan@savethechildren.org.uk Full report available at: https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/its-hard-to-survive- families-experiences-of-the-welfare-system-and-the-cost-of-living-in- northern-ireland/