One in six people ‘not confident’ they can afford to feed families

One in six Britons are not confident they can afford to feed their families, according to new research.

It comes as food inflation hit a record high last month, soaring to 11.6 per cent and shop prices are overall now 6.6 per cent higher than they were this time last year.

While three-quarters of Britons (76 per cent) are confident they have the money they need for food, a third of the public (34 per cent) say they are less sure they can afford to feed their families than they were this time last year, a YouGove poll states.

This figure includes 11 per cent who are “much” less confident than they were 12 months ago.

Some 17 per cent say they are not confident they can afford to feed their families, according to the survey of 1,717 adults between October 7 and 9.

Just half of 18 to 24-year-olds (55 per cent) say they are confident they can afford the food they need, compared to between 72 per cent and 89 per cent of older age groups.

While 87 per cent of Britons say they have never had to turn to a foodbank, more than a fifth of the public (22 per cent) believe they are now more likely to need one than they were a year ago.

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Of the 9 per cent of people who say they have used a foodbank at some point in their life, 60 per cent visited within the last year, including 15 per cent within the last week.

One in seven Britons (14 per cent) have had to borrow money in order to afford their regular food bills in the past year, the same poll indicates.

There is also a significant generation gap around foodbank use, with one in seven (14 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-olds saying they have used one compared with just 3 per cent of over-65s.

The survey comes days after the British Retail Consortium recorded that food inflation leapt to a record 11.6 per cent last month, while the Office for National Statistics said food and drink were 14.5 per cent higher year-on-year.

This comes as food inflation soared to a record 11.6 per cent in October as even basics such as tea bags, milk and sugar saw significant price rises.

Overall shop prices are now 6.6 per cent higher than they were this time last year – also a record – but food inflation jumped well above September’s 10.6 per cent and the three-month average rate of 9.7 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Nielsen Shop Price Index.

Fresh food prices are now 13.3 per cent more than last October, up from 12.1 per cent in September. Non-food inflation accelerated to 4.1 per cent, up from 3.3 per cent.

Rachel Bull, head of policy and research at the Trussell Trust previously told the Independent: “Across the UK people are struggling with the impact of inflation on the soaring cost of living, but there is no doubt that people on the lowest incomes are facing the toughest challenges.

“For the first time food banks are telling us that need for emergency food is outstripping donations for food parcels as the cost of living crisis leads to a drastic increase in the number of people forced to turn to charity for support.

“In August and September 2022 food banks in the Trussell Trust network distributed 46 per cent more emergency food parcels than the same period in the previous year.

“Food banks are preparing for the busiest and toughest winter yet as they expect to distribute more than 1.3 million emergency food parcels over the next six months – more than half a million of these parcels will be for children.

“We know it doesn’t have to be this way, the UK government has shown that the right support, at the right time, can help people out of hardship. That’s why we’re urgently calling on them to do what’s right and provide a package of support directly targeted at people on the lowest income to support them through this challenging time.

“Beyond this, we want to see a long-term commitment that benefit rates will always be enough to afford the essentials.”