New research reveals households referred to food banks have just £104 a week for essentials, after housing costs

New research shows that 14.1 million people – including 3.8 million children – faced hunger in the UK last year because they didn’t have enough money for food. Without urgent action to boost incomes in the Autumn Budget, this severe hardship risks becoming the new normal for millions of households.

Hunger in the UK is Trussell’s landmark study, delivered in partnership with Ipsos, on the scale, profile and drivers of food insecurity and food bank use across the UK. It’s a title that describes the harsh reality facing one in six (16%) households, or 14.1 million people, going without enough food because they cannot afford it.

Millions of people are being left with no option other than to turn to food banks, and millions more are going hungry without even seeking help from charitable food providers, often because they feel that others need help more.

Young children are particularly badly affected, with one in three (31%) children under five growing up in a food insecure household. Disabled people are disproportionately impacted too. More than a quarter (27%) of disabled people experience food insecurity and nearly three quarters (74%) of people referred to food banks in the Trussell community are disabled.

The likelihood of having experienced a change in life circumstances such as job loss, bereavement or a new health problem is higher for people referred to food banks in the Trussell community. And for people who can work, this is no guaranteed route out of hardship. In fact, nearly a third (30%) of people referred to Trussell food banks are in working households – up from 24% in 2022.

At the heart of this very troubling problem is a social security system which is failing to provide enough security when people need it.

Over half (52%) of people receiving Universal Credit experienced hunger in the last year, and almost a quarter (23%) had to access a food bank or other charitable food provision. Universal Credit isn’t doing the fundamental job of protecting people from going without the essentials.

Food bank need is not about a lack of food, it’s about a lack of income. On average, households referred to food banks are left with just £104 a week after housing costs to cover food, energy bills, travel, toiletries, and other essentials. This is only 17% of what the average UK household has left after paying their rent or mortgage.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The UK government must deliver on its promises to end the need for emergency food and ensure children have the best start in life. We’ve seen small steps, but we need urgent action on people’s incomes.

Source: Trussell, The Autumn budget must deliver urgent action on hunger, 10 September 2025

Locally in Wandsworth, you can provide vital help and support to local people experiencing hardship by donating to Wandsworth Foodbank. We run six welcome centres in churches and community centres across the whole of Wandsworth Borough, as well as home deliveries to people who can’t travel to our centres because of illhealth or disability. Thank you

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