38% of Universal Credit claimants state they have gone a whole day with little or no food due to money, according to survey
September 2022 - Food
38% of Universal Credit claimants state they have gone a whole day with little or no food due to money: A survey into people’s eating habits has uncovered that almost four in 10 Brits who have made a Universal Credit Claim have admitted to either not eating, or eating very little for a whole day over the last month.
The study by YouGov for Trussell Trust polled over 1,800 respondents, to uncover how the cost-of-living crisis has affected people’s diets. Furthermore, two in 10 respondents said they could not cook hot food due to the cost of using their cooker and utilities.
In addition to skipping at least one meal in the last month (40%) seven out of 10 people surveyed who received their cost-of-living payment in late July, said they had already spent it in full; with 64% saying they had spent the £326 on food.
The cost-of-living crisis has affected people in different ways, with 34% of participants saying they had fallen into debt as a result. Furthermore, 23% said they hadn’t been able to make essential travel to essential appointments (doctor’s, dentist etc.), due to not being able to afford public transport or fuel.
Data from the Office for National Statistics has shown that salaries in many areas of the UK are not keeping up with the rate of inflation; with wages falling by an average of 4% when measured against inflation.
On the other hand, some areas of the UK saw salaries increase, with the average wage of those living in London increasing by 5% from March to June of 2022.
Emma Revie, Chief Executive for Trussell Trust, said: "We are deeply concerned that 40% of people claiming Universal Credit are skipping meals, as winter approaches, and this is only going to get worse for people who already struggling to get by."
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