New research by the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint has found food insecurity is having a devastating impact on 16-25 year olds across the UK, including those in the capital.
Centrepoint commissioned Opinium to carry out a UK national poll to determine the level of food insecurity among the general population of 16 to 25 year olds. The sample of young people in London consisted of 376 respondents. Across the country, 2000 young people took part in the survey which was completed between March and April 2022.
Centrepoint found that around half (49%) of young people surveyed in London had gone to bed hungry in the last 12 months and over a third (35%) had gone a whole day without food. For those that were eating, four in ten young people (39%) in the region surveyed lacked access to safe and nutritious food.
That lack of nutrition is having a detrimental effect on a young person’s education – the survey found that just under a third (30%) of young Londoners surveyed have missed work or education due to a lack of food.
The reasons for going hungry were majorly down to the cost of living crisis, with over a quarter (26%) of young people in London struggling to buy food due to the high costs of living (including rising energy prices, food costs and rent).
Young parents and young carers have been forced to sacrifice meals for others to eat. Over a third of young people (34%) in London, surveyed, went without food in the last 12 months in order to feed someone else, for example a child.
Ashanti, 19, from West London commented on her experiences of food insecurity:
“I’ve skipped meals within the last year and just look at is as normal. It’s not every day I’m going to bed knowing I have eaten enough food.
“Many young people I’ve lived with in the hostels have also skipped meals, all because of the rising food costs. A lot of people may not have noticed the increase, but for those who have to look at the prices, we really do notice it.”
