About 14 million people in the UK face food poverty, up from 11.6 million in 2022, as food prices have risen 39% in five years. Laura, a single mother, said rent comes first, leaving her sometimes without food for days.
The article defines food poverty as being unable to access essential, nutritious food. Trussell said it distributed 2.6 million emergency food parcels in 2025, 45% above pre-pandemic levels. An Amnesty International UK poll found 75% had worried about food costs in the past year or knew someone who had; 70% had changed their eating or shopping habits, and 66% thought food would be even less affordable for the next generation.
Amnesty called on the government to establish a legal right to food; Trussell urged an “essentials guarantee” in universal credit so benefits cover necessities. A government spokesperson said recent statistics showed real household incomes had risen 5%, food-bank use had fallen and food insecurity was down, citing measures including a higher minimum wage, universal credit kept above inflation, suspended tariffs on everyday staples and a £1 billion fund councils can use to tackle food poverty.
