Nearly one in seven adults in the UK are living in households where people have skipped meals, reduced meal sizes, or gone hungry due to rising food costs, according to a survey by the Food Foundation. The online poll of 10,674 adults conducted by YouGov between April 22 and 29 found that 14% of respondents experienced food insecurity in the past month, up from 8.8% in January.
The charity warned that the situation is worsening as food prices rise by 7% annually, the highest rate in 30 years. The Bank of England has cautioned that inflation could reach 10% within months, driven by surging fuel and food costs. The Food Foundation also noted that people are increasingly opting for cold food from food banks to avoid higher energy costs from cooking.
Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, described the trend as “rapidly turning from an economic crisis to a health crisis” and urged the government to take action. “The boat is sinking for many families and it needs to be fixed. Bailing out with emergency food parcels is not going to work,” she said.
A government spokesman highlighted measures including £22bn in support for energy bills, a cut in fuel duty, and increased Universal Credit payments. However, shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth called the findings “devastating” and blamed the “Conservative cost-of-living crisis.” Prof Sir Michael Marmot of UCL added that the figures are “all the more chilling because the problem is solvable.”
