Commenting on the National Housing Federation’s findings that more than 313,244 children in England are forced to share beds with other family members, and over two million are living in overcrowded accommodation, Catherine McKinnell MP, who Chairs the Parliamentary Petitions Committee and who led a debate on Child Bed Poverty said:

“Today’s figures reflect what I heard last year when leading for the Petitions Committee on the issue of Child Bed Poverty debate last year that a third of a million children are going without their own beds and room to live in. The Government must listen to calls and take real steps to address this issue.

“Child Bed Poverty harms children’s performance at school and deprives them of independence and privacy. They can’t invite friends round to play or for sleepovers, and a bad night’s sleep can have a hugeky damaging impact on a child’s mental health, leading to low moods and isolation.

“More than 300,000 children in England share beds with other family members. It is a staggering number, but Child Bed Poverty is more than a statistic: every child without their own bed to sleep in or space to live in is not getting the start in life that they need and deserve.

“Sadly, this is symptomatic of a wider problem, made worse by the deepening cost of living crisis with more and more children are growing up in households without the very basics – whether that is food in their stomachs, heating in their homes, clothing on their backs, or something as fundamental as a bed.

“The Government can and must do so much more to ensure that no child goes without a bed and to create a joined up strategy to tackle child poverty”.

Notes – National Housing Federation report – Overcrowding in England 19 April 2023 – https://www.housing.org.uk/resources/overcrowding-in-england-2023/