Facing life on the 'poverty line' this Christmas

A Guernsey restaurant worker said he is among low earners on the "poverty line" and that more should be done to recognise those struggling.

Missing out at Christmas is a familiar experience for 20-year-old Charlie Murray-Edwards, who said he grew up in a poor household and faced homelessness aged 16.

He said if his employer did not supply rented accommodation he would not afford to get by.

He said: "We are a very wealthy island, but there is a line and there are a lot of people under it. I am still on the line now I have a job, but I grew up well below it."

It comes as the Guernsey States Indicators of Poverty Report 2023, published on 17 December, showed income and housing deprivation was on the rise.

With Christmas just days away, Mr Murray said he wanted islanders struggling with money to know they were not alone.

"We have always had poverty, but we need to get rid of the shame and stigma a bit more," he said.

"A lot of people can't heat their homes, let alone buy tinsel – they are choosing heating or food."

Mr Murray said he would be working through Christmas and New Year, instead of spending it with loved ones.

"If I need to work to afford to live, sadly I can't really afford to spend time with my family," he said.

But he said he was "grateful" to have a job to go to and place to live, after finding himself homeless aged 16.

That led him to Guernsey-founded charity Action for Children, which helped him find stable accommodation with a foster family.

Mr Murray said he knew of lots of other young islanders who also had to overcome difficult circumstances growing up.

"As a kid you are taught Santa is going to come and give everyone lots of presents but when he doesn't come – you think, 'What did I do wrong?'.

"I think we need to change the narrative."

• Guernsey States latest report showed more island households were living below the income poverty line than five years ago.

• Households are considered to be below the relative poverty line if their income is below 60% of the median household income after housing costs.

• In Guernsey 18.9% of households were said to be earning less than £21,936 per year in 2022.

• That equates to an increase of 2.4 % since 2019 and more than the latest UK figure of 17 %.

• In Jersey the latest figure stood at 20% of the population earning less than £22,000 a year.

• The number without secure housing is also on the rise in Guernsey, from 1.2% of islanders in 2016 to 1.9 % of the population in 2023.

Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].