New research carried out for the children’s charity Barnardo’s has found that just over one-third of families went into arrears on their energy bills at some point over the past 12 months.
The findings show that 36% of those surveyed fell behind on their bills in the last year due to a lack of money, up from 32% in 2025, reports RTE.
The charity said its Cost of Living — Impact on Children 2026 report illustrates the financial pressures and difficulties facing families due to inflation.
It found that 30% of parents surveyed felt at some point that they did not have enough food to feed their children, up from 28% in 2025, reports RTE.
The research also shows that two in five parents had borrowed money at least once over the past 12 months.
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The charity said it has seen a “steady increase” in the number of parents who believe cost-of-living issues have significantly affected their children over the past five years, with up to 80% of families saying their children have been negatively impacted in some way, reports RTE.
The research was carried out by Amárach Research with a nationally representative survey of 1,000 parents and guardians.
It also found that 44% of parents surveyed skipped meals or reduced their portion sizes so their children would have enough to eat, with 16% using a food bank — up from 12% in 2025, reports RTE.
Over half of parents, 55%, were concerned about having enough money to put fuel in their car, with 17% saying they had cut back on or gone without medical or health appointments.
One in five parents said cost-of-living pressures had not negatively affected their child, with children in one-parent families far more likely to have been significantly impacted than those in two-parent homes, reports RTE.
The charity said increased supports for families most at risk are needed if the Government is to meet its target of ending child poverty by 2030.
Barnardo’s is calling for an increase in the Child Support Payment and the Fuel Allowance, and for a commitment to reduce the disparity in energy costs for those on prepaid meters, reports RTE.
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