Belfast charity sees rise in poverty amongst new mums

Donna says she has "gone through periods of time where I haven't eaten to make sure my kids have a meal"

A charity working in one of the most deprived parts of Northern Ireland has said it is getting high numbers of pregnant women unable to afford nappies, clothes or newborn basics.

Blossoms Belfast said women expecting babies were finding themselves stressed or anxious about how they would cope.

It said more families had been getting in touch since the decision to withdraw the universal credit top-up.

The government has said it was always clear that the uplift was "temporary."

"It was designed to help claimants through the economic shock and financial disruption of the toughest stages of the pandemic, and it has done so," a spokesperson said.

'Fight or flight'

Cheryl Graham runs Blossoms Belfast, which is backed by Trinity Church Belfast.

It helps new mothers with donations of baby essentials and basics for mums.

"Some of these wee mummies have nothing, and it is fight or flight or heat or eat. We are picking up again, in the past few days," she told the BBC's Evening Extra programme.

"Families can see that this is coming, their baby is coming and they are not going to have the money, because that £20 [universal credit uplift] was making such a difference," she added.

She said one mother called her to thank her for a bottle of hair conditioner which cost 95p.

"She hadn't had conditioner in three years. That bottle was 95p. That 95p as a lot to her," Ms Graham added.

Cheryl Graham runs Blossoms Belfast

One woman who sought help from Blossoms when pregnant was Donna, who gave birth to Jake four months ago.

"I didn't have anything for Jake and I was really panicking and not being able to enjoy my pregnancy because I was so stressed financially worrying about where I was going to get the stuff to provide for Jake," she told the programme.

"At the start I was annoyed that I would have to reach out and ask for help. I felt a wee bit like I couldn't provide for my own child," she added.

"But talking to Cheryl and the guys here at Blossoms it made me feel at ease and I was still a good mummy just because I couldn't provide.

"I would have been totally lost not just with the stuff they provided me with but without the friendships that was made.

"It just takes away from the enjoyment of the pregnancy.

"I have all the worry and stress of how am I going to do this? How am I going to survive?

"And it really is, especially with things getting worse instead of better, with the economy and the money being cut from universal credit, it's just a nightmare.

"I have gone through periods of time where I haven't eaten to make sure my kids have a meal and it is just really, really, difficult.

"The government are saying things and making changes, but they aren't living through these changes because they are sitting on their big pay packs, and it's normal people like us that are suffering.

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"I am the type of mummy that I don't partake in drugs, cigarettes or alcohol. All my money goes on my kids, it doesn't go on anything else. Places like this [Blossoms] are saving people.

"You can understand why mothers do end up with depression because there is a big worry and a big boulder put on their shoulders, financially, with worrying how they're going to get a pack of nappies or how they're going to get a tin of food, it is a really big struggle, and it's not getting any easier."

Baby clothes and toiletries are among the items provided by Blossoms

There are different forms of support available for those in crisis, including the Department for Communities' discretionary support.

Some people are also eligible for the Sure Start maternity grant of £500.

A spokesperson for the Department for Communities told BBC Evening Extra: "Minister Hargey has prioritised support for the most vulnerable in our society and will continue to do so.

"She has been at the forefront of efforts to have the £20 universal credit uplift retained and has clearly stated that the actions by the British government in removing it are outrageous and abhorrent."

The department's Make the Call service is available to connect people with the benefits, supports and services to which they are entitled.