New survey results from debt help company, PayPlan, found that during a year where two-thirds saw an income drop due to Covid-19, the majority of parents are worrying about how they will feed their children and far too many are going without food themselves.
A lack of income forced 55% of people to cut back on their food spend and almost half of people missed a meal because they couldn’t afford food in the first place. More worryingly, 54% said they have gone a whole day without eating altogether.
Many have been affected by a large drop in income, leading to a reliance on state benefits and foodbanks to get through the tough times. However, 80% admitted that Universal Credit was not enough to live on.
The Trussell Trust found has called for an extension to the £20 Universal Credit uplift introduced during the pandemic and this has not yet been confirmed by the Government.
Rachel Duffey, CEO of PayPlan, said: “This year has been incredibly tough for millions of households up and down the UK. We are seeing an increase in people seeking debt help in the run up to Christmas and the demand will skyrocket in January.
“If you are struggling financially, I’d encourage you to seek debt help immediately as putting it off will leave you worse off in the long term. If you need help with putting food on the table, the Trussell Trust and other amazing charities are there to help as well.
“Far too many people need support now and we hope the Government will do the right thing and keep the £20 uplift in place as a bare minimum.”
