Baby banks face surge in demand

More and more parents with young children are turning to baby banks for day-to-day essentials.

According to the Baby Bank Alliance, 400,000 children were supported by baby banks last year.

That’s 11% higher than in 2024.

Among the items being distributed were 9.4m nappies - an increase of 8%.

Similarly, 6.4m items of clothing were given out - a 21% increase.

Families face insecure or unsuitable housing

Baby banks warn that the pressure facing families go beyond financial hardship.

For instance, three-quarters (75%) have observed parents struggling with unsuitable or insecure housing.

“Every child has the right to a safe place to sleep, and clothes to keep them warm,” said Sophie Livingstone, chair of the Baby Bank Alliance.

“Children having to rely on baby banks for basic essentials is unacceptable.”

Ms Livingstone added that baby banks are doing all they can to provide a safety net to struggling families.

However, she insisted charities cannot “absorb the impact of child poverty on this scale” by themselves.

“It’s time the government took the impact of poverty in children’s early years more seriously,” she said.

What’s the government doing to help struggling families?

The government has announced a number of measures that it believes will help tackle child poverty and ease pressure on family finances, including:

• increasing access to school meals
• extending funded childcare entitlements for working parents
• investing in family hubs

And significantly, it’s scrapped the two-child benefit cap, which ministers believe will lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament.

Find out what benefits you can claim

If you’re a parent struggling with your day-to-day expenses, we can check you’re getting all the support you’re entitled to.

So get in touch or try our benefits calculator to see what support you could receive.

You might be able to access more help than you realise.

Look for baby banks in your area

You can find your local baby bank on the Baby Bank Alliance website.

They can provide essential items like clothes, nappies, toiletries, and formula to families who need support. 

Most are run by charities, churches, or local organisations and they’ll do everything they can to help you get what you need.