More Children Living In Poverty By 2020

28 May 2014, 17:13 | Updated: 28 May 2014, 17:20

Families have been telling Heart they're struggling to cope financially.

It's as charity - Save the Children - claims the Welsh Government won't meet its target to eradicate child poverty by 2020.

The charity says - despite the economy improving - low income families in Wales are under increasing pressure.

Mary Powell Chandler, Head of Save the Children in Wales, told Heart: "We've called it the triple whammy effect.

"Cuts in social security expenditure, slow wage growth and also the cost of living which is exceeding earlier predictions."

Save the Children predicts by 2020 - there'll be tens of thousands more children in Wales living in low income families which are struggling to cope.

Gemma from Cardiff is a mum of 5 - with children aged from 2 to 13 years old.

She told Heart: "A lot of the main struggles are birthdays and Christmas. Another big thing is that we struggle to stay on top of the bills.

"I knit and crochet so I'm attempted to make clothes ready for the children for this winter.

"We make sure that we can have the things we need but we pay for the things are needed first. Then we take the luxuries from what little is left"

Save the Children also told Heart it's seen an increase in the number of families asking for help.

Their 'Eat, Sleep, Learn, Play! grant' helps parents if they've got to pay out for something unexpected.

Mary Powell Chandler said: "The demand for it has been quite phenomenal.

"I remember a time when we were concerned that we wouldn't be able to give all the grants out. That's certainly not the case now and we've just given out our 2000th grant in Wales."

The Welsh Government says it's working across the board - from health to education - to tackle child poverty.

Ministers say they've also written to the UK government, saying they're concerned welfare cuts will hit Wales' poorest families.