Culture of cuts will continue to punish children living in poverty.

Sophie Livingstone MBE, chief executive of Little Village, says: “The latest cuts to welfare announced in today’s Spring Statement are yet another blow to some of the UK’s most vulnerable families. It offers little hope to parents who are struggling to afford the basic essentials for their children, and who are already rationing nappies and diluting formula to help make ends meet. We urge the government to put children first in its spending plans.”

New data from the baby bank network Little Village paints a stark picture of the desperate financial choices parents are being forced to make. Nearly half (45%) of parents are skipping meals so their children can eat, while one in three (34%) are keeping the heating off to save on soaring energy bills. Parents are rationing nappies, watering down formula, and prioritising rent over essential items like clothing and toys – all because their incomes simply do not stretch far enough.

A mum supported by Little Village said: “We manage just about but it’s really difficult. We shop at the cheapest shop we can and use food banks. Things like nappies are so expensive, so I’ll try and stretch them out to ten nappies every three days which is hard with a young baby.”