Impact
According to the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) Households Below Average Income survey, in 2021/22, 4.7m people (7%) in the UK were in food insecure households. Among the 11m people found to be in relative poverty, 15% were in food insecure households, including 21% of children.
We understand food poverty has multiple impacts on individuals’ health and wellbeing, including a higher risk of dietary related illnesses and diseases. These figures are magnified when relating to social housing demographics.
The need to develop sustainable solutions has become more pressing as supplies to food banks reduce, driven by general cost-of-living pressures and fuel price increases. Demand happens to be understated because some people will not use food banks for reasons of self-dignity. The Trussell Trust alone supplied 2.99m three-day emergency food parcels in 2022/23.