THE government was urged to act on housing after a new survey exposed the serious harm poor living conditions are having on children — with some having to be removed from their family.

Most (78 per cent) social workers strongly agreed that housing conditions are a concern for people they support, in a new survey by the Social Workers Union (SWU).

Shockingly, 21 per cent of those working with children have seen their service remove a child in the last three years where unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions was a key contributing factor.

Unsafe housing conditions can include problems like mould, damp, disrepair, vermin infestations or overcrowding.

SWU general secretary John McGowan said: “Removal of a child from their family is always a last resort, but sadly when conditions become dangerous action has to be taken.

“This data shows that the reality of life in modern-day Britain is a struggle for many households. 

“The country’s poor housing stock poses a danger to the wellbeing and development of children and poses a risk to the health of many adults with pre-existing health conditions.

“Not only do we need to see investment in a £13.2bn Warm Homes Plan to help improve housing conditions, but we also need a full range of fully functioning and well-resourced public services.”

The survey, carried out last October, drew responses from 2,295 participants.

More than a third strongly agreed that they had seen an increase in people they work with living in unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions over the last three years.

The numbers were higher in north-east England, London and Wales, where 41 per cent flagged housing as a major concern.

A 2022 study by Imperial College London found that Britain’s homes are among the least energy efficient in Europe, losing heat up to three times faster than on the continent. 

End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis said: “Ministers are making the right noises when it comes to helping improve housing, but the Chancellor needs to put the money where their mouth is and commit the funding needed for a Warm Homes Plan which will help people improve the energy efficiency and insulation of their homes.

“And until these reforms are delivered, ministers must not forget about the millions of people suffering in cold, damp homes — they should provide enough support to ensure that everyone is able to stay warm every winter.”

According to National Energy Action, some 6.1 million households are in fuel poverty.

Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy, an NHS children’s doctor based in South Yorkshire, highlighted the serious health risks linked to poor housing.

He said: “Whilst the findings of this report are shocking, they won’t come as a surprise to many of us working in the NHS.

“Increasingly, children’s health professionals across the UK are witnessing cases of respiratory illness, undernutrition and worsening mental health all linked to undignified housing circumstances. 

“What’s more, rather than providing a foundation for their health, unfit, unsafe and expensive housing continues to severely impact their educational attainment, social health and life chances.

“Without radical change towards fairer policies that support affordability, energy efficiency, accessibility and security of tenure, housing will continue to entrench and reproduce childhood mass illness and stark disadvantage.”

In her Autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged £3.4 billion over three years to improve the energy efficiency of 350,000 homes — a fraction of the £13.2bn the party had pledged to allocate towards the plan last year in its manifesto.

A Government spokesperson said: “Everyone deserves a safe and comfortable place to call home. The energy shocks of recent years have shown the need to make British homes warmer and more efficient.

“Up to 300,000 households will benefit from upgrades through our Warm Homes Plan this year, rolling out measures like insulation, solar and heat pumps, and Ofgem are progressing their work to develop a potential debt relief scheme.

“We’re taking urgent action through our Plan for Change to fix the broken housing system we inherited, injecting £2 billion to help deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.”