The most recent Government figures on child poverty in East Devon are more than a year old, but paint a grim picture.

In the year ending April 2022, one in seven children in the district were living in relative poverty. Since food and energy prices have continued rising throughout the following 12 months, the current numbers are likely to be even higher.

The 2022 statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions showed that 3,685 children in East Devon were living in relative poverty in the year ending April 2022. This meant 15.7 per cent of children in the district were in a family whose income was below 60 per cent of the average household income. 

Of these children, 2,842 were in absolute poverty as their family's income was lower than 60 per cent of the median income established in 2010-2011.

The overall percentage was up from 12.8 per cent of children who were living in poverty in 2020-21.

East Devon District Council has more recent figures, based on residents who have provided details of their incomes when they have been helped by EDDC’s financial resilience team or claimed benefits such as council tax reduction. Of 1,020 residents who applied for extra financial support between April 1 2022 and February 17 2023, 332 households (32.5 per cent) were recorded as living in either relative or absolute poverty, and 222 of those households had one or more children.

Food banks on the front line

Local food banks have been seeing at first hand how families have been hit by the cost of living crisis that began to bite at the end of 2021. Exmouth Food Bank, which covers a large area including Lympstone and Budleigh Salterton, saw a steep rise in demand for help in 2022 and gave out 3,094 food parcels, a 42 per cent increase. In the run-up to Christmas the food bank was feeding 50 families a week.

Between January and March this year the demand stabilised but remained high, with 30 families a week needing the food bank’s help.

Exmouth Food Bank said in the last year or so it had seen families where both adults were working but on such low wages that their joint income could not stretch until the end of each month. Households faced with any unexpected costs were also having to turn to the food bank because they had no financial reserves. In the first few weeks of 2023 some families came to the food bank for help for the first time.

Sid Valley Food Bank reported a much higher demand in the first quarter of 2023, compared with the same period in 2022. During January to March it gave out 78 per cent more food parcels than in the first quarter of 2022. The increase in the number of individual children supported in each of those months month was 55 per cent, 84 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.

Chris Chapman from the Sid Valley Food Bank said: “The most common reason given for people asking us for help is the rise in the cost of living including energy and food bills, making it difficult for people on low incomes to manage. Some families that we have supported in the past have come back again for help, while we have also seen new clients that are accessing the food bank for the first time. Some of these have mortgages that they are now struggling to pay. Some had found it hard to ask for help for the first time and left it until they had got into debt or had used up all their resources. Of those in work, many have low paid jobs such as in care and hospitality.”

Honiton Food Bank has reported a decrease in demand, month on month, in the first quarter of 2023, but the numbers are still high. In January it gave out food parcels to 235 adults and 135 children; in February 229 adults and 132 children received the parcels, and in March the numbers were down to 197 adults and 107 children. Honiton Food Bank was not able to provide figures for last year as a comparison.

East Devon District Council is urging anyone who is struggling with the cost of living to visit its Financial Resilience Team’s webpages to find out about the support available, including help with energy bills, rent and council tax. Citizens Advice East Devon can also offer a wealth of information as well as help using the internet to access online resources.