Helplines for sex workers across the UK are reporting a dramatic surge in calls, with a sharp increase in women seeking to enter or return to the industry primarily due to severe financial pressures.
A Lifeline in a Crisis
The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) has recorded a 33 per cent increase in calls to their helpline over the last six months. Laura Watson, a spokesperson for the grassroots organisation, states that the majority of these calls are from women pushed towards sex work by the relentless cost of living crisis, rising inflation, and soaring prices.
This trend is backed by a report from the campaign group Decrim Now, released in October 2025. The report found that 76 per cent of people began sex work out of financial necessity. Furthermore, it highlighted that 77 per cent of respondents identified as disabled or having a long-term health condition, including mental illness and neurodivergence. Over half of the 172 people surveyed also held at least one other job, with childcare responsibilities being a key factor in their involvement in the industry.
Stories of Necessity, Not Choice
Victoria, 26, first turned to escorting at age 18 while working a minimum wage job at McDonald's and supporting her unemployed father. Facing homelessness, she saw no alternative. "I needed the money, and it helped me put food on the table," she explains. Diagnosed with autism and ADHD, Victoria now works as a dominatrix to support herself and her child, having used her earnings to buy a property in Fife, Scotland.
"You go into sex work for a few reasons but the main one is poverty," Victoria says. She observes a significant increase in people like herself turning to the work out of sheer need. "We shouldn't be blaming women for just trying to put food on the table for their child. We should be blaming the government."
The charity One25, which operates a 'night outreach' van for street sex workers in Bristol, has seen the number of women using its service more than double in three years, from 94 in 2021-22 to 192 in 2024-25. Operations manager Rachel Collins-White notes that for the most vulnerable women, sex work is a necessity, not a choice, often compounded by issues like drug and alcohol dependency.
A Dangerous Shift and a Fight for Rights
Activist and sex worker Rosie Hodsdon, who also works as an independent sexual violence adviser for Basis Yorkshire, confirms a rise across all areas of sex work. She notes a worrying trend where financial desperation is pushing people into riskier situations. Recent legal changes, such as the July 2025 amendments to the Online Safety Act requiring strict age verification on porn sites, have reduced earnings from online work like camming. This has forced some to move into less safe areas such as escorting, stripping, or street-based work.
The current legal framework also actively endangers sex workers. Laws against brothel-keeping mean that any two or more sex workers collaborating for safety can face prosecution. Victoria herself was raided and charged with brothel-keeping for working with others in her own home, an experience that left her with PTSD, though the case was later dismissed.
Amber Wilson, deputy CEO of Basis Yorkshire, points out that criminal records acquired through such laws create a brutal cycle, preventing people from leaving sex work and barring them from other employment. The stigma leads to further problems, from bank account closures to social services interventions.
In response to the increasing numbers, a Home Office spokesperson stated in December that as part of its mission to halve violence against women and girls, it is funding a pilot for a national law enforcement hub focused on sexual exploitation and is considering options to support those impacted by prostitution.
For advocates like Hodsdon, the goal is clear: decriminalisation and basic labour rights. "I have a desire for every person to have the resources they need to make the best choices available to them," she says, envisioning a future where sex workers are safe, respected, and protected by law.
