One in four UK adults at risk of hunger and potential malnutrition following lockdown.

[2greys]

One in four adults in the UK are experiencing food insecurity, which is likely to have left them susceptible to hunger and potential malnutrition, during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is the main finding of a survey published today by Feeding Britain and Northumbria University’s Healthy Living Lab.

The survey finds that 25% of adults have struggled during the pandemic to access food they can afford, and are likely to have been susceptible to hunger and potential malnutrition as a result. Meanwhile, nearly one in four adults looking after children have eaten less so they can feed the children in their household.

northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/...

[2greys]

Malnutrition is going to degrade peoples immune systems, thereby leaving them more susceptible to worsening symptoms of Covid-19 and even greater chance of death.

More info, a PDF file:

healthylivinguk.org/wp-cont...

[Hacienda]

Surveys like this are so Misleading. Food prices are Cheap, unless people shop at Expensive outlets. We buy at "Heron" & "Asda" Always Low Prices. They cater for families so they can Afford to Feed Them. Just saying. Have a Lovely fathers day 2 Greys. xxx C.

[2greys in reply to Hacienda]

Not when there is financial poverty which results in food poverty and energy poverty as well. There are many households that that might have a single parent earning minimum wage. Universal credit is inadequate with delays to any claims. The food banks are also struggling to keep up with the needs as well. It is not as simple as shopping at Asda, low prices or not, if you do not have the means to do so.

[knitter in reply to 2greys]

Interesting but harrowing read in today’s Guardian / Observer on line ....From panic buying to Food Banks by Jay Rayner

[2greys in reply to knitter]

theguardian.com/food/2020/j...

[hypercat54 in reply to 2greys]

Yes I agree. Before I finally got my state pension a year ago I had a very limited income. If this had happened then I would have been limited to local shops which are quite a lot more expensive, or walk to town and back which is a couple of miles up and down hills.

It's easy for those with cars to get to the supermarkets and have cheaper options. x

[knitter]

That first period of lockdown was difficult....I was lucky as I have access to the Internet , and thanks to my late parents access to reasonable funds. But even then I spent days trying to book an online slot....that caused me anxiety as well as not being able to get some staples and cleaning products .

For those who didn't have funds and Internet and were told to shield it must have been worrying to say the least.

Friends of mine relied on family or neighbours....then there was the problem of getting cash to pay. A local church helped before the council and supermarkets stepped in.

On top of it all the fear of Covid.

I remember in the 1950s and 60s my late father being part of a Civil Defence Organisation ...they had plans of action ready for any emergency.

[hypercat54 in reply to knitter]

Also if you live on your own online shopping isn't always feasible as there is a minimum spend of around £25 plus a delivery charge. I rely quite a lot on frozen food coz it's easier but my freezer doesn't hold a lot. x

[Angelagone]

Sadly , I'm not surprised by this. Plenty of people struggling even before the pandemic.

[hypercat54 in reply to Angelagone]

Yes I agree. x

[SORRELHIPPO]

I am lucky, funds are tight, but not that tight. I always feel guilty at the £200 heating money handed out at Christmas, give it on to the Salvation Army. This year I will be giving (some now so it is of some use) to my local food bank, they are a member of the Trussell Trust, who do an excellent job. Some supermarkets now have a system where you can buy some items when you shop, that you do not need, you then put them into a box after the till, for distribution. When I look up my local food bank, they tell me on the web site, what they are short of. We are lucky here, some of the local restaurants have cooked up meals, so individual boxes are frozen, for delivery to people most in need on the food bank's list.

[vambo]

That's apalling. I honestly count myself lucky every day that I can manage.

[Ergendl]

How sad. Couldn't click 'like' to that.

[Jaybird19]

Housing is expensive and so little is left for food . The selling off of council houses was a mistake in that housing then became more expensive, with cheaper houses bought up for portfolios yielding income, and let at relatively high rates.