Homes with kitchens for all our children

Feed in evidence to our campaign. If you are living without a kitchen please fill in our
short survey
to get your voice heard, and help us make a change.

Download and read our briefing paper: Hungry, Unhealthy and heartsore: Families fed up of being unable to feed themselves.

In Newham alone, more than 200 under-fives and 400 under-18s will go without a home-cooked meal tonight as they live in hotels with no kitchen.

Imagine trying to prepare three meals a day for your family with no fridge, no cooker, no hob, no microwave – not just for a week or two but – for some families – for months on end.

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Our families tell us:

We struggle to sterilise bottles and make up baby feeds.
Weaning our minis on to solids is near impossible due to a lack of choice of food, or having to buy ready made food that we cannot afford.
When our children are sick and just want mama’s home cooking, we can’t give it to them.
For those in emergency accommodation, it is expensive not to be able to get ingredients to cook from a food bank but be forced to buy 3 ready made meals a day, every day.
We and our children are suffering stomach upsets, weight loss and malnutrition.
This is all taking a toll on mother/child relationships and mental wellbeing.

The country’s health experts are also deeply concerned too.
She tells us that. people who did not have access to cookers and fridges can not cook and keep healthy food or their children- resulting in them filling their children’s stomach with cheaper and easier-to-store food which is unhealthy and not nutritious. High rates of dental caries that will be related to diet. Eating nutritionally deficient food risks malnutrition and obesity. Bones, brain and immunity are all dependant on good food.
What is also worrying is that there is a hidden problem around feeding behaviours and exposure- if a child has a restricted diet they do not gain experience of different foods and flavours .also if you cannot do messy eating and child-led weaning, behavioural issues related to food may arise.

This is not just a problem in Newham. Nationally – Shelter’s report this year estimates that one in four families living in temporary or emergency accommodation have inadequate kitchen facilities. And the government’s 2021/22 figures reported in the Guardian suggest that more than 1,600 families were living in hotels or B&Bs or hostels without access to a kitchen. These figures don’t include those families housed in hotels by the Home Office under the asylum duty, or those housed by children’s services.

What we are asking for

We know that change cannot happen all at once. And while we applaud Newham local authority’s great work to support our families in hotels (see sidebar), we recognise that this is an issue that needs national attention and resources. That is why our ask is going to the Department of Levelling up, Communities and Housing.

Newham are already helping through:
prioritising families in hotels when searching for housing,
providing wraparound support including community kitchens,
supporting during holiday periods with vouchers.
But local authorities cannot solve this issue alone.

Now
Resources from national government to support families right now with food vouchers, community kitchens and – where possible – rings, hobs or microwaves in their rooms.

This year
Resources released to local authority housing departments to ensure that no family has to live in a hotel without a kitchen for more than the 6 week legal limit.

Ultimate goal
To change legislation to ban the use of hotels with no kitchens to house families with children under five for any period of time.

How you can help

Sign our petition now

Thankyou for taking the time to ask for better for our families, check back here or on our social media for updates.

Donate to support our families

Bank Examples	Forms of Identity Needed
Metro Bank	Asylum seekers can apply for a cash account and/or savings account. This requires an Application Registration Card (ARC), proof of address and confirmation of asylum seekers support allowance or other income.
Lloyds	You can apply for a Classic Current account with a BRP, ARC or a Home Office Immigration Status document. Refugees and asylum seekers can apply for a ‘Classic current account’. This includes an arranged overdraft. Fees are charged if you go into your overdraft.
Nationwide	You can get a ‘FlexBasic account’ (basic bank account) and an ‘Instant Access saver’ (basic savings account). They accept BRP, ARC and Home Office Immigration Status document.
HSBC	You cannot open a bank account if you are from outside the EU. They accept BRP but NOT ARC. They accept BRP but NOT ARC.
Monzo	Refugees can open a current account with a BRP and their UK address. However, Monzo do not accept ARC. You can get your benefits or salary (depending on your employer) paid into your Monzo account 1 day earlier.

Saves Time	Make sure there is enough money in your account when the direct debit or standing order will be taken. If there is not enough money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You don’t need to remember to pay a bill	You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You will get money back for any incorrect payments for direct debits only.	Sometimes you might think you are setting up a direct debit, but it is actually a recurring payment or continuous payment authority (CPA). Be careful if companies ask for the long number on your card instead of your sort code and account number. This will mean they can take money whenever they think they are owed.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting your bank.


Magpie Mums say: “Always use direct debits if you can, so you don’t forget to pay and are charged. If you can’t use direct debits, make sure you put the dates when you’re supposed to make payments in your phone calendar.” “I’m used to it. It’s easy on the phone. I try to avoid going to banks.”

Account number	A 10-12 digit number given to your bank account. You can find your account number on your online banking page or on bank statements.
Card Number	A 16-digit number with that is found on the front of your debit/credit card.
Credit Card	A credit card doesn’t spend your money. It spends the bank’s money and you must pay it back. This means you can spend more than is in your account, but you might be charged extra for doing this, especially if you are late paying the bank.
Credit Score	A number that records how likely you are to repay your debts. High credit scores are better as it means financial products such as overdrafts and credit cards cost less.
Debit Card	A debit card is a card that lets you take out money from ATMs and make payments in stores or online from your account.
Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS)	An organisation set up to protect the money you put in bank accounts. If you have a current or basic account, the FSCS will pay you up to £85,000 if your bank goes bankrupt.
National Insurance Number (NI)	The number makes sure that the National Insurance contributions and tax you pay are properly recorded on your account. It also acts as a reference number for the whole social security system.
Overdraft	An amount of money you can spend even when you have no money in your account. It is like a small loan from your bank. Overdrafts are often not free, so you need to be very aware what the costs are before using one.
Personal Identification Number (PIN)	A PIN is a 4-digit number that is given to you with a debit card. This is used when taking out money from ATMs or when making in-store purchases with your card. Never share your PIN with anyone as it could be used to commit fraud.
Security Code	A 3-4 digit number found on the back of your debit/credit card in the signature section. This number will be required for nearly all online payments. The code provides an extra layer of security to safeguard you from fraud.
Sort Code	A 6-digit number that is used to identify your bank. You can find your sort code on your online banking platform, on bank statements or on your debit card.
Standing Order	When a fixed amount that you choose is paid from your account to another person or organisation. This is different from the direct debit as the amount that is paid is the same each time.

Saves time – you don’t need to remember to pay a bill.	You need to make sure there is enough money in your account when the direct debit or standing order will be taken. If there is not enough money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You will get money back for any incorrect payments for direct debits only.	You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting your bank.	Sometimes you might think you are setting up a direct debit, but it is actually a recurring payment or continuous payment authority (CPA). Be careful if companies ask for the long number on your card instead of your sort code and account number. This will mean they can take money whenever they think they are owed.