Growing number of families skipping meals as cost of living crisis 'bites' deeper

In April, 7.3 million adults were in households that said they had gone without food or 'could not physically get it' in the past month, which includes 2.6 million children. This is compared with 4.7 million adults in January, according to the Food Foundation – an independent think tank.

The figures are based on a YouGov online survey of 10,674 UK adults between 22 and 29 April 2022. They were analysed by The Food Foundation and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Older figures are taken from The Food Foundation’s own surveys.

The independent think tank is warning that further increases in food insecurity are predicted over the coming months as the full impact of the increases in national insurance and the energy bill cap at the start of last month is felt.

Key findings from the new data reveal:

• 8 million adults (12.8 per cent of households) have had smaller meals than usual or skipped meals because they couldn’t afford or get access to food.
• 6 million adults (8.8 per cent of households) have not eaten despite being hungry because they couldn’t afford or get access to food.
• 4 million adults (4.6 per cent of households) have not eaten for a whole day because they couldn’t afford or get access to food.

The think tank says that food banks are also reporting that users are increasingly requesting products that do not need cooking as the cost of living crisis bites deeper and families cannot afford energy bills.

It is now calling on the Government to take ‘urgent’ action to prevent further escalation of the crisis, including benefit levels in line with inflation and expanding access to free school meals and the Healthy Start programme – an NHS scheme that helps women who are pregnant or have young children and are receiving benefits, buy foods such as milk or fruit.

'The situation is rapidly turning from an economic crisis to a health crisis.'

Anna Taylor, executive director of The Food Foundation, said, ‘The extremely rapid rise in food insecurity since January points to a catastrophic situation for families. Food insecurity puts families under extreme mental stress and forces people to survive on the cheapest calories which lead to health problems. The situation is rapidly turning from an economic crisis to a health crisis. Food banks cannot possibly be expected to solve this. The Government needs to realise the boat is sinking for many families and it needs to be fixed. Bailing out with emergency food parcels is not going to work.’ 

Prof Sir Michael Marmot, University College London, commented, ‘Food is basic, but so is security. Both are vital to good health. These figures on food insecurity are all the more chilling because the problem is soluble, but far from being solved it is getting worse.’

A Government spokesman said, ‘We recognise the pressures on the cost of living and we are doing what we can to help, including spending £22bn across the next financial year to support people with energy bills and cut fuel duty.

‘For the hardest hit, we're putting an average of £1,000 more per year into the pockets of working families on universal credit, have also boosted the minimum wage by more than £1,000 a year for full-time workers and our Household Support Fund is there to help with the cost of everyday essentials.’