ICAFS: The Cost of Living Crisis: Impact on Children, Families, and Communities
3rd October 2024
The cost-of-living crisis is having a profound effect on children, families, carers, and the elderly, with many households struggling to afford basic needs.
At ICAFS, their advisers are seeing a sharp rise in food insecurity, debt, and mental health issues, making day-to-day life incredibly challenging for many.
Key Challenges
Food insecurity: Families can’t afford nutritious meals, even for children during school hours.
Living costs: Rent, clothing, and heating are often beyond reach, forcing children to miss out on education.
Transportation: Lack of affordable transport limits access to work, education, and social activities.
Mental health: Financial stress is leading to anxiety and depression, while mental health services are overstretched.
Debt: Many families face serious debt, which exacerbates family conflict, underachievement in children, and mental health problems
ICAFS Support
Their specialised debt and welfare services are helping families navigate these difficult times. From welfare benefits to debt relief, they’re working tirelessly to stabilise households, reduce financial strain, and improve wellbeing.
By The Numbers (May 2024 – Sept 2024)
- 117 individuals supported, with 489 individual problems tackled through appointments, phone and home visits.
- 21 individuals prevented from being bankrupt. 23 Magistrates & County Court Actions prevented.
- 33 adults and 19 children received dedicated support for Disability Benefits.
- 79 individuals/families were “fully stabilized” and no longer dependent on food parcels, with £109,819.60 in debt written off. Between (Oct 2023 – Apr 2024) 43 households were stabilized and no longer dependent on food parcels, with 36 individuals becoming debt-free, with £178,558 in debt written off.
- £511,262.00 generated in income through missing benefits and support schemes for families in need. Between (Oct 2023 – Apr 2024) £623,086.80 was generated in income.
Moving Forward
ICAFS is a bespoke Dalton Ward service (by appointment only – no drop ins) and we currently have funding in place until March 2025 to try and help more families.
ICAFS priority remains dedicated to helping families overcome financial challenges. As the crisis deepens, the need for specialised support is greater than ever. Together, they can help families regain stability and create brighter futures for their children.
Resolving complex cases takes a significant amount of time. Many families require multiple appointments and in-depth support.
- Some cases take up to 37 hours to resolve, with others requiring 15-28 hours on average.
- Appointments last between 1 to 1.5 hours, and multiple sessions are often needed, such as 6 sessions for debt counseling.
This process is time-consuming but essential for providing effective help. Your support allows ICAFS to continue offering this vital, detailed assistance to families in need.
If you’d like to support and are able to donate, please help us keep this service running in the Dalton Ward by emailing us at info@daltontogether.co.uk.
