Over 300,000 children were given food aid in the UK in 2013. While politicians continue to argue about why so many kids are experiencing food poverty, Channel 4 Dispatches asked three children to reveal how it feels when the cupboards are sometimes bare.
Cara is nine and lives with her gran in West London; Rosie is eight and lives in Hull with her mum and sister; and Niomi is 14 and lives in Suffolk with her brother and her dad.
Through their eyes, and in their words, this programme finds out what it's like when it's a constant struggle to put enough food on the table; when choices have to be made to heat or to eat; when loan companies hear you are struggling and start bombarding you with texts; and when sudden illness means that a normal life vanishes overnight.
-
-
Breadline Kids
Mon 9 Jun 2014
Over 300,000 children were given food aid in the UK in 2013. While politicians continue to argue about why so many kids…
- This episode has audio description available.
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Naomi, who has cancer, and her father talk about making ends met after she was diagnosed and he had to give up his job to care for her.
This video is a intro
Breadline Kids
Video duration:
1:46
minutes
-
Secrets of Your Credit Rating
Mon 24 Feb 2014
A bad credit rating can affect your chances of getting access to bank loans, mortgages and even mobile phone contracts…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Morland Sanders reports on who knows what about your finances and how the information gathered is not always correct
This video is a clip
Dispatches: Secrets of Your Credit Rating
Video duration:
2:57
minutes
-
Benefits Britain: The Bedroom Tax
Mon 10 Feb 2014
Of all the welfare changes brought in by the coalition government, the so-called Bedroom Tax is perhaps the most…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Disabled couple Annaliese and Kevin on being hit by the bedroom tax
This video is a intro
Benefits Britain: The Bedroom Tax
Video duration:
1:15
minutes
-
Hunted
Wed 5 Feb 2014
On the eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia is officially welcoming gay athletes and spectators. But in a country…
- Be warned, this contains scenes that some viewers may find upsetting and language which some viewers may find offensive
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Dispatches investigates homophobic attacks on the gay community in Russia
This video is a intro
The Hunted - Clip 1
Video duration:
1:22
minutes
- WARNING Strong Language General Offence
-
Inside the anti gay movement in Russia
This video is a clip
The Hunted - Clip 2
Video duration:
1:30
minutes
- WARNING Scenes Which Some Viewers May Find Offensive
-
Can You Trust Your Surgeon?
Mon 11 Nov 2013
Surgeon Ian Paterson stands accused of performing inadequate operations on hundreds of NHS breast cancer victims…
- This episode has audio description available.
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
The Property Market Undercover
Mon 28 Oct 2013
As house prices soar once again and the government's 'Help to Buy' scheme kicks in early, Channel 4 Dispatches goes…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Taliban Child Fighters
Mon 22 Jul 2013
More than 200 children convicted of fighting for the Taliban are currently being held in special prisons across…
- This episode has audio description available.
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
South Africa's Dirty Cops
Mon 15 Jul 2013
10 days left
Channel 4 Dispatches examines allegations that South Africa's police have become a brutal and corrupt force.
- Distressing images of violence
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
The Police's Dirty Secret
Mon 24 Jun 2013
10 days left
Through the personal testimony of a former Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) officer, a joint investigation by Channel…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Peter Francis, who spent four years living undercover, is the first officer from the Metropolitan Police's SDS to publicly speak out.
This video is a clip
The Police's Dirty Secret
Video duration:
1:23
minutes
-
The Hunt for Britain's Sex Gangs
Thu 23 May 2013
In 2010 Telford police allowed cameras to start filming what was to become one of the biggest child sex abuse cases in…
- Contains descriptions of abuse, sexual references and language that some viewers may find distressing
-
Secrets of Your Missing Mail
Mon 29 Apr 2013
With shoppers increasingly relying on private parcel companies to deliver online purchases, Dispatches goes undercover…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Syria: Across the Lines
Wed 17 Apr 2013
Award-winning documentary maker Olly Lambert has spent weeks living deep inside Syrian territory - with both government…
- Strong language and scenes of war which some viewers may find upsetting
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
The Truth About Junior Doctors
Mon 25 Mar 2013
When he was a junior doctor, Dr Christian Jessen worked dangerously long hours, which he feared might be putting…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Rich and on Benefits
Mon 18 Mar 2013
Michael Buerk investigates claims that Britain's pensioners are part of an untouchable group when it comes to…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Secrets of Your Boss's Pay
Tue 9 Oct 2012
As the pay packets of Britain's top bosses continue to grow, Channel 4 Dispatches follows the former Greggs chief…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Secrets of Poundland
Mon 17 Sep 2012
As other High Street retailers struggle for survival, discount leader Poundland is booming.
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Property Nightmare: The Truth About Leaseholds
Mon 20 Aug 2012
The economic downturn has made buying property outright more difficult than ever but our obsession with home-ownership…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Britain's High Street Gamble
Mon 6 Aug 2012
Britain's high streets are struggling to survive, but one business is booming; betting shops. On average one new bookie…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Britain on the Sick
Mon 30 Jul 2012
Using undercover filming, reporter Jackie Long investigates the controversial processes used to assess whether sickness…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Dispatches investigates the controversial Work Capability Assessment (WCA)
This video is a clip
Britain on the Sick
Video duration:
1:02
minutes
-
Can You Trust Your Bank?
Mon 23 Jul 2012
The Barclays interest rate scandal, unimaginable bonuses and insurance misselling have put the banking sector firmly in…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Let Our Dad Die
Mon 18 Jun 2012
In 2005 Tony Nicklinson had a catastrophic stroke, which left him utterly paralysed. He had what is known as 'locked in…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Landlords from Hell
Mon 5 Dec 2011
As the numbers of homeless rise, Dispatches goes undercover in the property rental market again to find out what really…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
As the numbers of homeless rise, Dispatches goes undercover in the property rental market again to find out what really happens when you're without a roof over your ahead and desperate
This video is a clip
Landlords from Hell
Video duration:
1:25
minutes
-
Britain's Sex Gangs
Mon 7 Nov 2011
17 days left
Research suggests that thousands of children are potentially being sexually exploited by street grooming gangs. This…
- Descriptions of sexual violence that some viewers may find upsetting
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Gordon Brown's Missing Billions
In an edition from 2005, economist Andrew Dilnot looks at where Gordon Brown's policies have gone wrong, and examines…
- This episode has subtitles available.
-
Beneath the Veil
Thu 26 Jul 2001
Beneath the Veil follows freelance journalist Saira Shah as she travels covertly through her father's homeland of…
- Contains footage of executions and attrocities which some viewers may find disturbing
-
-
-
The hunt for Boko Haram
This video is a extra
Dispatches: Nigeria¿s Hidden War
Video duration:
0:25
minutes
-
Dispatches - Sharing Mum and Dad - Open 4 clip
This video is a clip
Dispatches - Sharing Mum and Dad - Open 4
Video duration:
0:21
minutes
-
A lawyer¿s view on the evidence of crimes during the hunt for Boko Haram
This video is a extra
Dispatches: Nigeria¿s Hidden War
Video duration:
0:13
minutes
-
Antony Barnett talks to Essex County Council about Joanna Killian
This video is a intro
How Councils Waste Your Money - Clip 2
Video duration:
0:35
minutes
-
Winners and losers in the supermarket supply chain
This video is a extra
Supermarkets: The Real Price of Cheap Food
Video duration:
0:53
minutes
-
What the discount stores are doing to encourage us to buy their products
This video is a extra
Supermarket Price Wars
Video duration:
1:16
minutes
-
An investigation into overuse of the NHS
This video is a intro
Are You Addicted to Your Doctor?
Video duration:
1:16
minutes
-
Dispatches carries out an experiment to see if minimum unit pricing of alcohol will work for a new generation of drinkers
This video is a extra
The Cost of Cheap Alcohol
Video duration:
2:07
minutes
-
An undercover investigation by Dispatches reveals the dark side of international football
This video is a extra
How to Fix a Football Match
Video duration:
2:33
minutes
-
-
-
The hunt for Boko Haram
This video is a extra
Dispatches: Nigeria¿s Hidden War
Video duration:
0:25
minutes
-
Dispatches - Sharing Mum and Dad - Open 4 clip
This video is a clip
Dispatches - Sharing Mum and Dad - Open 4
Video duration:
0:21
minutes
-
A lawyer¿s view on the evidence of crimes during the hunt for Boko Haram
This video is a extra
Dispatches: Nigeria¿s Hidden War
Video duration:
0:13
minutes
-
Antony Barnett talks to Essex County Council about Joanna Killian
This video is a intro
How Councils Waste Your Money - Clip 2
Video duration:
0:35
minutes
-
Winners and losers in the supermarket supply chain
This video is a extra
Supermarkets: The Real Price of Cheap Food
Video duration:
0:53
minutes
-
What the discount stores are doing to encourage us to buy their products
This video is a extra
Supermarket Price Wars
Video duration:
1:16
minutes
-
An investigation into overuse of the NHS
This video is a intro
Are You Addicted to Your Doctor?
Video duration:
1:16
minutes
-
Dispatches carries out an experiment to see if minimum unit pricing of alcohol will work for a new generation of drinkers
This video is a extra
The Cost of Cheap Alcohol
Video duration:
2:07
minutes
-
An undercover investigation by Dispatches reveals the dark side of international football
This video is a extra
How to Fix a Football Match
Video duration:
2:33
minutes
-
Dispatches is investigating how the police handle complaints of police racism. In this clip, reporter Ade Adepitan speaks to Xavier Thompson-Martel, who made a complaint involving racism after he was stopped and searched in 2010.
This video is a extra
Secrets of the Police ¿ Xavier Thompson-Martel
Video duration:
3:14
minutes
-
Ade Adepitan talks about his experience as a young black motorist
This video is a intro
Secrets of the Police - Clip 1
Video duration:
1:04
minutes
-
Stephen Lawrence's brother Stuart talks about how he was stopped by the police
This video is a clip
Secrets of the Police - Clip 2
Video duration:
1:13
minutes
-
Naomi, who has cancer, and her father talk about making ends met after she was diagnosed and he had to give up his job to care for her. Watch Dispatches Breadline Kids
This video is a intro
Breadline Kids
Video duration:
1:46
minutes
-
Becky describes her first experience of visiting a food bank
This video is a extra
Breadline Kids - Interview with Becky
Video duration:
1:46
minutes
-
When choices have to be made to heat or eat, Cara, nine, and her gran describes visiting a food bank in West London
This video is a extra
Dispatches: Breadline Kids
Video duration:
2:46
minutes
-
Since the recession began over a 1,000 breakfast clubs have been started for primary aged children. Rosie, eight, tells us her experience.
This video is a extra
Breadline Kids
Video duration:
1:11
minutes
-
Chris Arnold, a self-described ethical advertiser, shares a few tricks of marketing junk food to kids
This video is a extra
Dispatches: Tricks of the Junk Food Business
Video duration:
2:09
minutes
-
When is an ad not and ad ¿ inside the world of advertising to kids
This video is a extra
Tricks of the Junk Food Business
Video duration:
0:40
minutes
-
Dispatches: Policemen Behaving Badly
This video is a extra
Dispatches: Policemen Behaving Badly
Video duration:
1:14
minutes
-
Eat wisely, the amount of sugar in some low fat food may surprise you
This video is a extra
The Truth about Low Fat Food
Video duration:
1:39
minutes
-
Professor Theresa Marteau is a leading behavioural scientist. She¿s studied how food labels influence us and says people consume low fat labelled foods even more than if the food had just been labelled as regular.
This video is a extra
The Truth about Low Fat Food - Channel 4 Dispatches
Video duration:
0:45
minutes
-
Morland Sanders discovers how horses are left to die by traders, who are sending their meat into the food supply
This video is a extra
Horse Meat
Video duration:
1:11
minutes
- The programme isn't suitable for younger viewers
-
What¿s in your ham and Cheese pizza?
This video is a extra
Food: What's Really in your Trolley?
Video duration:
1:14
minutes
- The programme isn't suitable for younger viewers
-
Homophobic abuse and football
This video is a clip
Undercover: Hate on the Terraces - Clip 2
Video duration:
0:43
minutes
- WARNING Scenes Which Some Viewers May Find Offensive
-
Footballer Jason Roberts talks about racism in the sport
This video is a intro
Undercover: Hate on the Terraces
Video duration:
0:28
minutes
-
Morland Sanders reports on who knows what about your finances and how the information gathered is not always correct Watch Dispatches Secrets of Your Credit Rating
This video is a clip
Dispatches: Secrets of Your Credit Rating
Video duration:
2:57
minutes
-
Disabled couple Annaliese and Kevin on being hit by the bedroom tax Watch Dispatches Benefits Britain: The Bedroom Tax
This video is a intro
Benefits Britain: The Bedroom Tax
Video duration:
1:15
minutes
-
Dispatches investigates homophobic attacks on the gay community in Russia
This video is a intro
The Hunted - Clip 1
Video duration:
1:22
minutes
- WARNING Strong Language General Offence
-
Inside the anti gay movement in Russia
This video is a clip
The Hunted - Clip 2
Video duration:
1:30
minutes
- WARNING Scenes Which Some Viewers May Find Offensive
-
In Russia where it's thought only 1% of gay people dare to live completely openly, Dispatches investigates the homophobic attacks on the gay community, as the country hosts the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
This video is a extra
Dispatches: Hunted
Video duration:
1:30
minutes
-
Hunted explores the terror that gay people in Russia are calling 'hunting season'
This video is a extra
Hunted
Video duration:
0:44
minutes
- The programme isn't suitable for younger viewers
-
Antony has a date in Whitehall, in a sewer!
This video is a clip
Floods: Your Money Down the Drain
Video duration:
2:20
minutes
-
How can sugar cause so much harm?
This video is a clip
Are You Addicted to Sugar?
Video duration:
2:15
minutes
-
Antony Barnett visits Essex County Council
This video is a clip
How Councils Waste Your Money - Clip 1
Video duration:
2:23
minutes
-
Can you really buy big brand names on the cheap?
This video is a extra
Secrets of Your Discount Stores (9th Dec 2013)
Video duration:
1:45
minutes
-
Dispatches takes a closer look at the stores promising luxury for less
This video is a extra
Secrets of the Discount Stores - Trail
Video duration:
0:20
minutes
-
Tazeen Ahmad is shown hospital equipment by Dr Taheri
This video is a extra
Britain's Big Fat Bill
Video duration:
0:45
minutes
-
60% of us have never switched energy provider. In this clip, we meet Elaine who's been with hers for 38 years...
This video is a clip
Energy Bills Exposed
Video duration:
0:53
minutes
-
As the cost of living rises faster than many pay packets and life expectancy increases, Michael Buerk asks what your pension is really worth (C4, Mon 18 Nov 2013)
This video is a extra
What's Your Pension Really Worth? Trail
Video duration:
0:20
minutes
-
Domestic Propaganda
This video is a clip
North Korean: Secret State
Video duration:
1:00
minutes
-
Peter Francis, who spent four years living undercover, is the first officer from the Metropolitan Police's SDS to publicly speak out. Watch Dispatches The Police's Dirty Secret
This video is a clip
The Police's Dirty Secret
Video duration:
1:23
minutes
-
Dispatches reveals the scale of the Duchy of Cornwall's hugely profitable property empire and looks at the amount of tax Prince Charles is paying.
This video is a clip
The Prince and His Secret Properties
Video duration:
0:46
minutes
-
Is Britain's immigration system fit for purpose?
This video is a clip
Immigration Undercover
Video duration:
0:56
minutes
-
Ade Adepitan talks about the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
This video is a clip
Britain on Benefits
Video duration:
1:21
minutes
-
A victim of child sex abuse in a British religious community goes undercover
This video is a clip
Britain's Hidden Child Abuse
Video duration:
3:00
minutes
-
Jonathan Miller travels to Rwanda to see what British taxes have paid for
This video is a clip
Where Has Your Aid Money Gone?
Video duration:
1:34
minutes
-
Will they, or won't they?
This video is a clip
Nuclear War Games
Video duration:
2:16
minutes
-
Dispatches' undercover reporter is ready for duty
This video is a clip
Cruises Undercover: The Truth Below Deck
Video duration:
0:46
minutes
-
Harry Wallop sets up his own store on Deptford High Street to show that size matters when it comes to bargains.
This video is a extra
Secrets of Poundland
Video duration:
1:31
minutes
-
Ruth Owen tries to get to the bottom of why jobs were omitted from their website.
This video is a clip
Tricks of the Dole Cheats: Ruth Owen
Video duration:
4:22
minutes
-
Lucia tells her us her experience with Job Centre Plus
This video is a clip
Tricks of the Dole Cheats: Lucia's Story
Video duration:
2:59
minutes
-
Dispatches investigates the controversial Work Capability Assessment (WCA) Watch Dispatches Britain on the Sick
This video is a clip
Britain on the Sick
Video duration:
1:02
minutes
-
How well do people know what counts towards their Five a day?
This video is a clip
Myths about Your Five a Day
Video duration:
1:44
minutes
-
Portrait of a once golden couple who've become global hate figures
This video is a clip
The Real Mr & Mrs Assad
Video duration:
1:31
minutes
-
Do you know how much cash you have in your wallet? Harry Wallop thinks you should.
This video is a clip
Beating the Recession - Cash vs Cards
Video duration:
2:11
minutes
-
As the numbers of homeless rise, Dispatches goes undercover in the property rental market again to find out what really happens when you're without a roof over your ahead and desperate Watch Dispatches Landlords from Hell
This video is a clip
Landlords from Hell
Video duration:
1:25
minutes
-
Dispatches on Channel4.com
See more about DispatchesDispatches is Channel 4's award-winning investigative current affairs programme
NEXT ON TV:
Mon 27 Oct, 8PM Channel 4
-
Britain's Sex Gangs (Nov 2011)
Research suggests that thousands of children are potentially being sexually exploited by…
-
Are you Addicted to your Doctor
With the NHS under real strain Dispatches investigates those who are over-using our…
