New data published by the Food Foundation found 7.2 million adults and 2.7 million children experienced food insecurity in June 2024 (14% of UK households and 18% of households with children).
Among the poorest fifth of the population, households with children would have to spend 70% of their disposable income on food to afford the Government recommended healthy diet. There have been calls from citizens and experts for the Government to take action to reduce children’s food insecurity in first 100 days.
The Food Foundation is calling on the new Government to:
- Make reduction in children's food insecurity a goal for the Child Poverty Taskforce and Children's Wellbeing Bill.
- Require that the cost of healthy and sustainable diets be taken into account when setting benefits levels and the national minimum/living wage, and remove the two child limit.
- Provide free school meals to all children, starting by increasing the eligibility criteria to all children in families in receipt of universal credit and auto-enrolling all eligible children.
Shona Goudie, policy and advocacy manager at The Food Foundation, commented: “Last week’s announcement that the Government are convening a Child Poverty Taskforce is a positive step; however, the immediate action that is so desperately needed to relieve the families across the UK who are going hungry was sorely lacking in the King’s Speech.
“Food insecurity has been persistently far too high over the last few years with the previous Government failing to take decisive action for too long. We are calling on the new Government to ensure that everyone can afford and access a nutritious diet that will keep them healthy, and in doing so achieve their ambitions to make our children healthier, relieve pressure on the NHS and grow the economy.
“We urge the Government to set reducing children's food insecurity as a goal for the Child Poverty Taskforce and Children's Wellbeing Bill, and to take critical next steps to achieve this including ensuring the national minimum/living wage and benefit levels cover the cost of basic essentials, including food; extending eligibility for nutritional safety nets including free school meals at lunchtime and healthy start; and abolishing the two-child benefit limit.”