Parents in many parts of Scotland are struggling to put food on the table, clothe their children and heat their homes, as austerity hits hard, according to charities.
Leading groups working with children and families say it is increasingly hard to help them with parenting and relationship problems because so many parents are preoccupied with poverty and meeting basic needs for food and fuel.
A survey of 1000 Scottish parents by Mori for Parenting Across Scotland found that one in three reported stress and anxiety because of changes in their financial circumstances, one in three said money problems meant they spent less time with their children and a third had been forced to cut back on food shopping.
Among single parents, the challenges were greater, with around half having cut back on food shopping and two in five cutting back on buying clothes for their children.
In an open letter the heads of ten charities are calling today for both the Scottish and UK Governments to combat poverty among families already struggling and those close to the breadline.
Writing to the Herald, the chief executives of charities including Children 1st, Aberlour and Children in Scotland said: "Our services workers are now having to spend more and more of their time supporting families with the most basic needs (such as for food, clothing and fuel)."
"This should not be happening in 21st century Scotland. How can you bring up a family when you aren't sure how you're going to put a meal on the table that night?"
Clare Simpson, project manager at Parenting across Scotland added: "In most cases it can be just one step to financial poverty and those just getting by, those 'in between', can easily be tipped into the red, for example, by job losses, sickness, family break up or benefit changes.
"We know from our report that single parents, those living in deprived areas and people with a disability are already struggling and proposed benefit changes will throw many of them over the edge, leaving some with a choice of heating or eating."
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