Four in 10 parents in Northern Ireland have rationed their heating in the past 12 months, new research has revealed.
A parenting charity said this equates to an estimated 136,800 children in the north at risk of living in cold, damp homes as their parents struggle to afford to heat their homes.
Other figures show over a third of parents are struggling financially, with 19 per cent of parents getting into debt each month.
The National Parent Survey, conducted by YouGov for Parentkind, also reveals almost a quarter are worrying about paying their rent or mortgage and a fifth reported skipping meals in the last year to save money.
Parents across the north are also struggling to afford the cost of sending their children to school with two thirds citing uniforms (66%), school trips (46%) and school meals/drinks (32%) as causing the biggest financial challenge.
Jason Elsom from Parentkind said: “Too many parents tell us they are unhappy most of the time, with parent mental health concerns a big worry, parents are missing work because they are suffering with mental health problems,” he said.
“Many parents are struggling to make ends meet and have only a few hundred pounds left in the bank for a rainy day.
“It’s no wonder the cost of school worries parents, with all the little extras adding up.
“The amount of time children spend on screens is once again a big issue for parents and the National Parent Survey shows it is having a big impact on family life causing disagreements as some children are now spending seven hours a day on smartphones and tablets and it is stopping them from sleeping and ruining family time.”
He added that the poll is a “wake up call to policy makers to put parents first, listen to their concerns and make life better for parents, we’ve put forward a plan to make this happen based on the voice of parents from across the UK”.
