Bed Poverty in the UK

​"Bed poverty" on the rise in the UK

​A children's charity has reported that more than a million children in the UK live in "bed poverty". This means they have no bed of their own to sleep in. They either sleep on the floor or share a bed with parents or siblings. The charity, Barnardo's, said bed poverty is a result of people becoming poorer. The cost of living has greatly increased in the UK. Rising food prices and higher gas and electricity bills mean people on low incomes cannot afford basic items. Barnardo's said for many families, a bed is now a "luxury" item. It said around 700,000 children are sharing beds, while 440,000 children sleep on the floor. This makes children tired, so it is difficult for them to concentrate at school.

​Lynn Perry, the CEO of Barnardo's, said bed poverty was just one sign that many people in Britain are struggling. She said: "Bed poverty is just one aspect of child poverty." She added that it highlights the painful challenges that many parents face. She said parents do not have enough money "to afford the essentials needed to raise happy and healthy children". She said: "Families in crisis are having to prioritise essentials such as food, heating and electricity over things like replacing mouldy bedding or fixing a rotten or broken bed." Ms Perry warned that bed poverty is affecting children's mental health. She called on the government to take "urgent action to address these deep-rooted issues".

Multiple Choice

The WHO said a million children worldwide have no bed

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Many children in the UK share a bed with a brother or sister.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

More children sleep on the floor than share beds

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Having no bed affects how children study at school

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A charity said bed poverty shows there is child poverty

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• False

Multiple Choice

Some parents have too little money to keep their children healthy

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Families can afford to fix broken beds.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The charity boss said the government would not address these issues.

• True

• False