'Baby bank was there for me when I needed it'

"Emily, aged 21 months, is reading books with her mother at a baby bank in south London. Little Village runs the Tooting service, which provides families with clothing and other essentials. It also has sites in Camden and Wembley. Emily is the third child of Theresa Kamuayi, who is currently not working due to mental health challenges. Theresa says the charity "was there for me, to help"."

"Last week, a survey by the charity found 81% of parents it currently helps felt they could not afford warm coats, boots or jumpers for their children due to increased financial pressures. Ms Kamuayi told BBC Politics London: "I need a lot of stuff because of being a single mother of kids alone and I do it without dad in the picture.""

"Sophie Livingstone, chief executive of Little Village, says there is a "definite need" to lift the cap "but then we need to go a lot further". She said: "My concern is that the government will think that their job is done. "The priorities to support families would be looking at the rate of benefits, looking at solving housing issues, which obviously will take time, but we have to start somewhere, the cost of childcare as well, and making work pay."

Little Village runs baby banks in Tooting, Camden and Wembley. Emily, aged 21 months, uses the Tooting service with her mother Theresa Kamuayi. Theresa is not working because of mental health challenges and says the charity "was there for me, to help". She is affected by the two-child benefit cap that prevents most families claiming means-tested benefits for third or additional children born after April 2017. Ministers have hinted the cap could be lifted in the November Budget. A charity survey found 81% of helped parents could not afford warm coats, boots or jumpers. Little Village urges lifting the cap and wider reform on benefits, housing, childcare and pay.

Read at www.bbc.com