THE majority of North-East parents are not feeling the benefits of Britain's economic recovery and have low expectations for their children's success, a new poll has found.

Four in ten parents in the region with children said their family finances had actually got worse since in the last three years - the highest in Great Britain.

The survey by children’s charity 4Children also found that:

  • More than a third of working parents say they are missing out on family activities every weekend, because of work commitments
  • More than four in ten parents say they are losing sleep over money worries
  • Almost four in ten parents say they miss dinner time at least once a week because of work - the highest outside London

The survey also found that families across the country are only just surviving, with almost half of parents saying their family finances could not cope with the cost of replacing a broken boiler this winter.

The findings were contained in a study by the charity titled Britain’s Families: Thriving or Surviving? looking at the daily lives of Britain’s families in 2016.

When asked about aspirations for their children, less than half of parents felt their child would go to university and less than a quarter thought they would travel abroad - both the lowest in Great Britain.

Parents in the North-East were also the least likely to expect their child to get married and to have a child of their own by the time they were 30.

When questioned about which other key milestones parents of 18s or under living in the North-East thought their children would achieve by the age of 30, less than half expected their child to have a job that paid a decent salary, while only one in four expected their child to be on the property ladder.

4Children chief executive Imelda Redmond CBE said: “Too many of Britain’s families are struggling to make ends meet, even as the wider economy is improving. Families in the North-East are no exception.

“We’ve spoken to hundreds of families as part of our inquiry into Britain’s Families in 2016. The message from them was clear: they’re working hard to make ends meet but quality family time is suffering as a result.

"Like many families across the country, families in the North-East are torn between working longer hours to provide more for their families and spending quality time together."