22 October 2025
New data shows one in seven households with children struggling to afford food
New data shows one in seven households with children struggle to afford food, as national charity calls on government to commit to halve UK food insecurity in Child Poverty Strategy
A new report, published today, by The Food Foundation shows that:
- Over 1 in 10 (11%) in the UK are experiencing food insecurity
- This rises to almost 1 in 7 for households with children (15%)
- Of all food insecure households, 64% report cutting back on fruit (vs. 14% of food-secure households) and 50% cutting back on vegetables (vs. 8% of food-secure households) because they were worried about money
- 78% of all respondents agree that if healthy food was more affordable it would enable their household to eat more of it
- The Food Foundation calls for the government to pledge to halve UK food insecurity levels in its upcoming Child Poverty Strategy
A new report from The Food Foundation shows that food insecurity in the UK has remained stubbornly high over the last half decade, with one in 10 households still affected, rising to one in seven households with children.
These families face challenges in accessing enough food to eat and the data also shows that it is often more nutritious foods like fruit and vegetables which are sacrificed in food insecure households.
More than three quarters of the population also said that they would eat more healthily if these items were more affordable.
Beyond being a social justice issue, food insecurity seriously harms physical and mental health - undermining people’s wellbeing, straining the NHS, reducing productivity, and ultimately weakening the economy.
As struggling households with children are pushed to buy cheap calorie rich, nutrient poor foods, we are also seeing that children from the most deprived fifth of the population are nearly twice as likely to be living with obesity as those in the least deprived fifth by their first year of school.
Similarly, children in their last year of primary school in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to have experienced tooth decay in their adult teeth compared to those in the least deprived areas. These examples illustrate how the food system reinforces social inequalities from early childhood.
This situation is even more concerning as recent ONS data shows that food prices are steeply on the rise again, including the cost of healthy staples such as vegetables, eggs and fish (new ONS data to be released today (Wed October 22 with predictions saying inflation will increase further).
The Food Foundation’s Basic Basket Tracker, which measures the weekly price of a basket of food for an adult male and adult female as part of a reasonably-costed, adequately-nutritious diet, shows that from April 2022 to October 2025 the price of the woman's basket (non Clubcard) has risen by 27.4% and the price of the man's basket (non Clubcard) has risen by 30.1%.
Addressing food insecurity is essential to advancing several government priorities, including reducing reliance on food banks, addressing disparities in life expectancy, breaking down barriers to opportunity, reducing child poverty, and having the healthiest generation of children ever. Failure to address barriers that prevent low-income families from accessing and affording a healthy diet will undermine these goals.
The Food Foundation has tracked food insecurity levels since March 2020. Over this relatively short time frame, food insecurity levels have remained persistently high, but have also fluctuated from 7% of the population to 18% of the population.
This shows both that the UK food system remains vulnerable to external shocks, but also that levels can be quickly reduced or increased depending on the policy choices made by government in response to external factors.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, the government increased Universal Credit payments by £20 per week. The uplift was then removed in October 2021 even though the cost of living was rising.
In line with The Food Foundation’s data, the Government’s own data shows the uplift reduced food insecurity among those who received it, and that food insecurity rose again when it was removed.
The Food Foundation is calling on the government to commit to reduce child food insecurity levels in its upcoming Child Poverty Strategy.
This includes:
- Setting a target to halve levels of food insecurity
- Removing the two-child limit, and strengthening nutritional safety net schemes that support low-income families, such as:
▶ Expanding Healthy Start to all families on Universal Credit, in the same way it has recently been announced Free School Meals will be expanded.
▶ Ensuring all children eligible for Free School Meals can benefit from them by removing barriers that currently prevent families from registering
Shona Goudie, Policy and Advocacy Manager at The Food Foundation said: "Food insecurity in the UK is a political choice, not an inevitability.
"The government must demonstrate its commitment to tackling this issue by setting clear targets to protect people from food insecurity and building national resilience.
"Over the last 5 years overall levels of food insecurity have remained persistently high but have fluctuated considerably demonstrating how rapidly conditions can change –either for the better or worse.
"These fluctuations reflect external events, but also policy measures taken by the government. The government must use its forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy to commit to halve the number of children experiencing food insecurity."
Vic Harper, CEO of The Bread and Butter Thing, who run affordable food clubs using surplus food said: "This isn’t just a cost of living crisis.
"That implies a short sharp situation. Food insecurity has become chronic for many families. We’re now seeing people impacted who traditionally you wouldn’t have thought would be struggling to afford food.
"It’s people who are working and doing everything society asks of them, but they still can’t make ends meet. We see nurses. We see teaching assistants. We see people who we’ve never had seek support before.
"This is much bigger than a one-off crisis now. We need structural change."
Rebecca, Food Foundation Ambassador and Food Educator in Devon, said: "As a parent and food educator, I know that healthy eating often comes down to impossible choices when money is tight.
"Government schemes help, but without fair wages and better support, many children go hungry or rely on cheap, unhealthy options.
"From my experience in schools and at home, it’s clear that low income and limited benefits make nutritious food a luxury.
"Children deserve more than occasional support—structural change is needed to make healthy meals accessible for every family."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
ABOUT THE DATA
As part of The Food Foundation’s regular Food Insecurity Tracking programme we commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey of 4,030 people in June 2025.
The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults 18+. The figures presented from the online survey have been analysed independently by The Food Foundation and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
The Food Foundation asked three questions to assess whether people are food insecure. If they answer yes to any of the three questions, they are classified as food insecure: In the past month, have you/anyone else in your household:
- Had smaller meals than usual or skipped meals because you couldn’t afford or get access to food?
- Ever been hungry but not eaten because you couldn’t afford or get access to food?
- Not eaten for a whole day because you couldn’t afford or get access to food?
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Juliet Grant on 07929 075489 or email juliet.grant@foodfoundation.org.uk
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ABOUT THE FOOD FOUNDATION
The Food Foundation is a charity working to influence food policy and business practice, shaping a sustainable food system which makes healthy diets affordable and accessible for all. We work in partnership with researchers, campaigners, community bodies, industry, investors, government and citizens to galvanise the UK’s diverse agents of change, using surprising and inventive ideas to drive fundamental shifts in our food system. These efforts are based on the continual re-evaluation of opportunities for action, building and synthesising strong evidence, convening powerful coalitions, harnessing citizens’ voices and delivering impactful communications.
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WITH THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS
The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social well-being. It funds and undertakes rigorous research, encourages innovation and supports the use of sound evidence to inform social and economic policy, and improve people’s lives. The Nuffield Foundation is the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. This project has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation. Find out more at: www.nuffieldfoundation.org. Bluesky: @nuffieldfoundation.org, LinkedIn: Nuffield Foundation.
Created in memory of Kristian Gerhard Jebsen, the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation aims to enhance the well-being of people and promote human and social development, through support of grantees in the areas of health, education, science, culture and environment, in Switzerland and abroad. Visit: www.kgjf.org
