Millions of people – including one in five families with children – have gone hungry or skipped meals in recent weeks because they could not regularly afford to buy groceries, according to new food insecurity data.
Expects warned the persistence of high levels of food insecurity among low-income families was a “health emergency” that would drive the prevalence of conditions linked to poor nutrition, such as malnutrition and rickets.
Although the foundation has previously reported the amount of vegetables bought by UK households has fallen to a 50-year low, the latest tracker data shows the situation is far worse for low-income families.
Millions of low-income families being unable to afford to access regular and healthy food has focused attention on the inadequacy of social security support.
Michael Marmot, a public health expert and professor of epidemiology at University College London, said: “There are fewer needs more basic than nutritious food for you and your children.
A government spokesperson said: “We recognise the pressures people are facing, which is why are providing £104bn in cost of living support worth on average £3,700 per household, while our healthy food schemes are helping more than 3 million children.
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