Thousands of children are being put at risk as funding for crisis support continues to be scaled back, The Children's Society has warned.
The charity said parents were struggling to meet the cost of basics like food, clothing and heating following cuts to welfare schemes that provide help in the form of shopping vouchers, electricity meter top-ups, white goods and cash grants.
In a new report, Nowhere To Turn, it said the number of people receiving crisis support from the Government had dropped by a staggering 75 per cent since the Government devolved responsibility to councils in 2013.
The impact was exacerbated by further funding cuts to local authorities that led to the end of separate cash grants in 2015.
According to the report, there were 1.3m applications to the Government for crisis support in 2012/13, with 737,000 being successful.
But by 2015/16, this had fallen to 320,000, of which 208,000 were successful, and to 284,000 in 2017/18, with only 187,000 qualifying.
The Children's Charity believes the decrease is down to the strict eligibility criteria put in place by local councils, with some requiring that applicants first try to access food banks, take out loans, or receive unemployment benefits.
Other councils, it said, do not actively promote their crisis support schemes, meaning that many of those in need may not know that they exist.
In total, 23 councils have abandoned the schemes altogether.
At present, councils are not required to consider the presence of children when considering families for financial assistance, but The Children's Society wants that to change.
It also wants councils to make decisions on emergency cases within 24 hours, as well as make the schemes available to people in work, and ensure awards available from all councils include cash and support with child-related costs like school uniforms.
Nick Roseveare, Chief Executive at The Children's Society, said many families were living in poverty despite working.
Others are struggling as a result of Universal Credit delays, the benefits freeze, and the growing gap between private rents and housing benefit.
'At a time when families need support more than ever this vital source of help is drying up,' he said.
'An unexpected event like a broken boiler or long-term sickness, can tip a family into crisis and this kind of support can be the difference between them keeping their heads above water or drowning in debt and ending up hungry or homeless.'
