**UK food poverty: 4.5 million more people risk going hungry as cost of living soars**
*Analysis: Food insecurity has worsened in the last six months, with families cutting back on meals and buying less food amid soaring inflation
*7.3 million adults are now struggling to put food on the table, and 2.6 million children are living in food poverty
*The cost of food has risen by 12.4% in the past year, with the price of bread, milk, and cheese increasing faster than average
*Food banks are reporting soaring demand, with some seeing a 50% increase in people seeking help
*The government has been urged to do more to help struggling families, including increasing financial support and expanding the free school meals program
The cost of living crisis is having a devastating impact on food poverty in the UK, with 4.5 million more people now at risk of going hungry.
A new analysis by The Independent has found that 7.3 million adults are now struggling to put food on the table, and 2.6 million children are living in food poverty.
According to the government’s own definition, anyone who has experienced food insecurity in the last month is considered to be food poor. Food insecurity can include having to skip meals, eat less than desired, or go hungry because there is not enough money to buy food.
The analysis found that food insecurity has worsened in the last six months, with families cutting back on meals and buying less food amid soaring inflation.
Since March, the cost of essentials such as bread, milk, and cheese has risen much faster than the rate of inflation. As a result, many families are struggling to make ends meet and are having to make difficult choices about what to buy.
Food banks are reporting soaring demand, with some seeing a 50% increase in people seeking help. One food bank in London said that it had seen a 20% increase in people coming to the food bank for the first time.
The Trussell Trust, which operates a network of over 1,200 food banks in the UK, said that the number of emergency food parcels given out had increased by 14% in the last six months.
The charity warned that the situation could get even worse in the coming months, as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
The government has been urged to do more to help struggling families, including increasing financial support and expanding the free school meals program.
The Independent’s analysis found that the government could save £1 billion a year by expanding the free school meals program to all children from low-income families.
The government has said that it is committed to helping families with the cost of living, but its plans have been criticized for not going far enough.
The opposition Labour Party has called on the government to do more, including increasing the minimum wage, freezing energy bills, and providing more support for low-income families.
The cost of living crisis is a major challenge for the UK, and it is having a devastating impact on food poverty. The government must do more to help struggling families, and it must do so urgently.
[Source: The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/food-poverty-uk-cost-living-soaring-b2140886.html)
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