29 percent of young parents between the ages of 18 and 30 say they will not be able to pay for the expenses of Christmas this year, a new survey says.
The charity Young Women's Trust commissioned a Populus Data Solutions survey of over 4,000 people aged 18 to 30 in England and Wales. Their findings are disheartening but not surprising considering how wages have stagnated while the costs of living, especially food, continue to rise.
Young women, both mums and those who are childless, are more at risk of debt this holiday season compared to young men. 18 percent of young women will find themselves in debt this Christmas, compared to 15 percent of young men.
Another report from the charity showed that young mums especially are struggling with money problems. 46 percent of mothers aged 16 to 24 admitted to regularly missing meals in order to support their families financially.
One in three young mums said they were worried about their family's finances, while more than one in ten (11 percent) reported being extremely worried.
A staggering 27 percent of young mothers said they either use or have used food banks in the past.
Looking at these findings, the charity's chief executive Dr Carole Easton OBE said, "Young women are more likely to be stuck on low pay and on zero hours contracts. Often they don’t know how many hours they will work each month and whether they will earn enough to pay their bills.
"It can be particularly hard for young mums; in some cases, low pay means an hour’s childcare costs more than an hour’s wages. As a result, many are failing to make ends meet and are falling into debt. Much more needs to be done to improve young people’s prospects."
Young Women's Trust is doing their part to help women who find themselves struggling with little or no pay.
The charity provides support to job seekers, including a free career coaching service.
