The cost of living crisis is forcing adults to skip meals
The cost of living crisis has become a pressing issue with a significant number of adults facing financial hardship. Now adults are forced to miss meals to pay other bills.
With no sign of the cost of living crisis coming to an end, it has now been revealed that one in four adults are skipping meals.
A survey of 2,200 adults by YouGov and Christians Against Poverty (CAP) revealed that 14.7 million (or 28%) UK adults skipped meals to save costs over the summer.
The YouGov and CAP survey uncovered disturbing statistics about the frequency of meal skipping among UK adults.
The survey found that 11.3 million people, equivalent to 21% of the population, skip meals on a weekly basis. These people are forced to make difficult decisions due to the financial strain caused by the rising cost of living.
The impact of the cost of living crisis goes beyond simple financial struggles. The survey revealed that one in ten people agree that the rising cost of living has made life not worth living.
PAC director of external affairs Gareth McNab said: “Poverty in our communities is getting worse – it's devastating the lives of millions of people across the UK and that's why we need to listen to people who they suffer.”
Father-of-three Rodney told the charity: “I used to have my own building business and my own house, but when my marriage broke down and a knee operation left me disabled, i lost everything
“I stayed as a single parent, skipping meals to make sure the kids had enough, but even then, I didn't have enough to put the heating on in the winter.”
McNab added: “Poverty should not define who someone is, nor affect how they are treated by society.
“But all too often, the brutal realities of everyday life with incomes too low for even the basics are compounded by the stigma, silence and shame of society at large. No one should have to face these injustices”.
Food banks a GrimsbyBoston, Skegness, Lincoln and Scunthorpe are seeing record numbers of people turning to them for food support.
A food bank charity operating in Lincolnshire and Newark is predicting a bleak future with demand for food parcels rising.
The Trussell Trust network aims to provide more than one million emergency food parcels between December 2023 and February 2024.
Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “We don't want to spend every winter saying that things in food banks are getting worse, but they are. Food banks are not the long-term answer, but as we continue to fight because the change could mean they could close for good, your local food bank urgently needs your support.
“They need food donations for emergency packages and money to fund costs such as buying food to cover the shortfall in donations they are currently experiencing.”
People are struggling every day. In addition to struggling to feed their families, some families have reported falling behind on their electricity and gas bills.
Reports have also found that more than 3 million people have missed their mortgage payment putting their home at risk.
With rising fuel bills, mortgage rates and food bills, record numbers of adults are now being forced to move back in with their parents.
Some of these adults are married with children and live in limited conditions to survive.
With wages not keeping up with inflation and a lack of support from the Government, experts predict it will get much worse before things start to get better.