New research from the Trussell Trust shows that 9.3 million people are facing hunger and hardship across the UK. That's the highest level in the last 20 years and includes one in every five children. Without action a further 425,000 people will face hunger and hardship by 2026/27.
One of the authors of the report, Thomas Weekes said: “This research aims to support the development of policies to create real change in the number of people who need support from food banks across the UK. Facing hunger and hardship means that you are already using food banks, or are at high risk of doing so.”
This is the first report from a longer-term project, with the next report due spring 2025. This interim report explores:
- How we define the full scale of need for emergency food, measured by our ‘hunger and hardship’ indicator
- The scale of hunger and hardship across the UK, including historic and future trends
- Who is most likely to face hunger and hardship
- Impact assessments of a range of policies, including the fiscal cost and the impact on the scale of hunger and hardship.
A spokesperson added: “This research finds that a record number of people are facing hunger and hardship across the UK, with rates more than a third higher than they were 20 years ago. Without change, things are projected to get worse. Some groups across society are bearing the burden more than most, including children and people living in disabled families.
“Policy modelling shows there are a range of tools that would make a tangible difference to hunger and hardship in the UK. Importantly, the levers to pull resulting in the biggest impact are those which invest in social security to boost people’s incomes. Change may not happen overnight, but there is immediate action the UK Government can take to start building a better future.”