Destitution can be defined as ‘poverty so extreme that one lacks the means to provide for oneself’. JFR are calling on all political parties to make tackling destitution a priority and set out plans to revise the ‘appalling rise’ in hardship across the country.
The research found:
- 3.8m people experienced destitution since 2022- a 61% increase since 2019
- This includes around 1m children- an 88% increase since 2019
- Since 2017 the number of children experiencing destitution has almost tripled
Paul Kissack, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “Across our country we are leaving families freezing in their homes or lacking basic necessities like food and clothing. Such severe hardship should have no place in the UK today – and the British public will not stand for destitution on this scale.
“The Government is not helpless to act: it is choosing not to. Turning the tide on destitution is an urgent moral mission, which speaks to our basic humanity as a country, and we need political leadership for that mission. That is why we are calling for clear proposals from all political parties to address this challenge with the urgency it demands.”