April's Rising Bills: pushing people towards poverty and homelessness

This week the cost of living has increased yet again, pushing many families to breaking point.

Energy prices, rent, council tax, and other essential costs are rising and people on the lowest incomes will struggle to afford the basics. Household budgets, already stretched to the limit, can’t absorb these new costs. More people will be forced into financial crisis.

Poverty and homelessness go hand in hand

There are many reasons that people becoming homeless, but the underlying factor is fairly simple. Most people become homeless because they are denied the help and opportunities, they need ed to break the cycle of poverty.

For example, relationship breakdowns are one of the main causes of homelessness. But what often sits behind this is poverty - putting strain on the strongest relationships, forcing people to make impossible choices between paying for bills or food, and creating feelings of hopelessness and fatigue. Poverty can destroy people’s ability to make sound decisions about their finances - which has devastating consequences.

Families on the brink

For many families, increased living costs will lead to crisis. The extra financial strain will cause immense stress, increase the risk of family breakdown and, in some cases, homelessness.

Many will be forced to cut back on heating or skip meals. Others will fall into rent arrears and risk losing their homes. Foodbank use, already at record levels, is expected to rise.

Children growing up in poverty also face significant disadvantages. Their education, mental health and future opportunities are all affected. When families are struggling, they need urgent support to prevent them from reaching breaking point.

Family Routes: a new service to help

We’ve launched a new service - Family Routes - that families experiencing poverty. It provides practical and emotional support to Thanet households with children aged 10+. We help them tackle financial worries, housing issues and difficulties finding employment. We’ll also give them tools to manage the emotional effects of poverty, such as poor mental health and relationship breakdowns. The aim is to help families build a more stable future and reduce the poverty they’re experiencing. By providing early support, we can prevent families from reaching crisis point and ensure they have the help they need before their situation worsens.

Live Well Kent & Medway: addressing the social causes of mental health problems

People living in poverty are disproportionately affected by mental health issues. Factors largely beyond our control, such as the housing we can afford, welfare policy and the buoyancy of the job market, all affect our mental health and emotional wellbeing.

We're part of Live Well Kent & Medway – which is a countywide network of organisations working together to help people manage their mental health and also address factors that are affecting it.

How you can make a difference

While real long-term change requires government action, there are ways we can all help. Supporting local charities and spreading awareness of available services are small but meaningful actions.

No one should have to choose between paying rent and feeding their children. We are committed to supporting families across Kent affected by the latest increases in household bills.

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