By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs Editor
Child poverty in the UK increased significantly during the recession, according to a new report which criticises wealthy countries for failing to protect the most vulnerable from the effects of the economic downturn.
Data collected by UN organisation Unicef ranks the UK 25th out of 41 countries in taking measures to cushion the impact of the economy on children and families.
Chile, Poland and Slovakia all outperformed the UK, experiencing a reduction in child poverty.
"Here in the UK we have seen rates of severe material deprivation for children get worse," said David Bull, executive director of Unicef UK.
"There are only six countries in the 41 country study that have seen that material deprivation worsening at a greater rate than the UK."
For one single mother, the effect of the recession squeezing the family budget is a daily reality.
"The quality of our food intake has definitely gone down because of the financial struggles," said Alicia Gomes, 23, who lives on a council estate in south London with her three-year-old daughter Destiny.
"I think the Government should give more help to lone parents. We do eat normal cooked meals, but it's easier to live off frozen food because we get more offers."
"What I find quite upsetting is that we struggle so much and then there's people out there getting free meals in prison and clean bedding, and we are struggling so much to do that ourselves.
"The people doing wrong seem to get more support than the people doing the right things in life."
Ms Gomes says most of her income is taken up by food shopping, council tax, and pay as you go electricity which is often on the emergency setting.
Sally Plumb, Strategic Partnership Manager for two children's centres in the London borough of Lambeth, said some families were in an extreme situation.
"I do think that we should be shocked about the levels of poverty in the western world. It is almost like a third world country around here. A lot of children around here don't have beds, they are not eating properly," she said.
But the Government disputed the Unicef findings.
The Department for Work and Pensions said: "Unicef is drawing distorted comparisons with this data.
"UK official national statistics show that under this Government, around 300,000 fewer children are in poverty or growing up in workless families. Our reforms are improving the lives of some of the poorest families by promoting work and helping people to lift themselves out of poverty."
Unicef said that although its figures were not the most recent available, they provided a comparative context on the UK's performance up to 2013.
"Our report shows that particularly in the UK child poverty has worsened. It also shows that isn't inevitable," said Mr Bull.
"Other countries like Austria have had bonus payments and tax payments that have been very progressive in terms of impact they have had on poorest children."
"There's a lot that we should do to make the right choices."
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