‘I live off £30 a month’: Nearly 4 million people in UK experienced ‘destitution’ last year

Destitution - it's a word almost from another age, conjuring visions of desperate, grinding poverty. But it is a fact of life right now , for increasing numbers of people, according to new research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation thinktank.

In a joint study with Heriot-Watt University, they found that 3.8 million people - a million of them children - experienced destitution last year defined as being unable to meet some of the most basic needs - staying dry, clean, warm and fed.

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[menow]

I'm 60 years old, still working and in a well paid job. I take nothing for granted, I could be like any of these people tomorrow. Please everyone when you go shopping, buy something to put into the food bank in your local supermarket if you can. You never know when it might be your turn.

[CameronFussner]

My greatest concern is how to recover from all these economic and global troubles and stay afloat especially with the political power tussle going on in UK.

[becsterbrisbane]

"Nobody from the government was available to speak to" Says it all, really.

[YahsGift]

It amazes me how ANY country can call themselves great when the citizens are living and dying is destitution... just wow.

[unemployablegraduate]

There’s so many men out there, mid-50s, physically knackered or disabled after a lifetime in a trade, living desperately lonely lives (often childless and single), trying to cling on to an existence in tiny bedsits on Universal Credit. My heart really goes out to them.

[holamad]

I have been working all my life paying all my taxes and then I got a neurological disease and it has impacted my life for the worst. I see many nasty comments, don’t judge other people without knowing their life circumstances.

[bluefoxblitz]

Sorry, it isnt hardship. It is ABUSE.

[aa-xgct]

If someone had told me thirty years ago that the UK would sink so low I would never have believed them. Gone are the days when having a job would at least keep your head above water. I seen an ex-council house going for £950 a month near where I live, how is someone working in a supermarket or any other basic job supposed to afford that?
Millions are struggling just for the basics, including people in work, it really isn't something to be proud of. I'm in my fifties and remember my gran telling me about the squalid conditions people lived in when she was young, I hope we aren't heading back to that standard.
There will always be an argument about scroungers and lazy people, but to have people going hungry in the fifth (or sixth) largest economy is shameful.

[alan.c]

I saw so much pain in this man's eyes when he said only $30 pounds were left over to spend on food etc... i hope his life improves

[navidbutt-inflammationwiza]

How the UK treats it's poor, especially, those with chronic health issues is an absolute disgrace!

[mycool]

What a disgrace this country has become. Broken beyond repair!

[EdDiaz]

The world is upside down. I live in the US & it's the save situation. All the sudden, the wealth gap is the size of a galaxy. You either have a $500MM yacht, or you live in a rent or car. Devastating & no solutions in sight. Where is the electwd leadership?😡

[MurphyOCP-]

Absolutely heartbreaking. And what does the Government do? Remove the cap on bankers bonuses. Utterly, utterly sickening

[chickentender]

I am in the US, working as a Substitute Teacher. This year, we received a raise that helped, but in the past few years, I could barely make my rent, unless the school schedule allowed 22 work days in the month. I was constantly sick with chronic upper respiratory issue, rashes, and kidney infections when I started subbing, and used summer to get almost well before everything started again with the next school year. Covid helped tremendously as I qualified for unemployment and actually received more than when I was working. It's ridiculous that the US and the UK make it so hard to get help when you're actually working hard to keep from drowning. I didn't use food banks before Covid, the thought never crossed my mind. Now I'm so grateful for them.

[dougg]

My sister took legal custody of me when she was twenty one years old and worked in a fast food place. Sometimes I would have to stay with friends family for months at a time because she couldn’t afford me. Those families were friends of ours because I went to school with their kids . Those people we’re heroes. Bought all my gear for sports and everything. They were not well off either. Anyway, what I meant to say is poverty sucks for kids and families.

[kraigetrueman]

It's a sick country that allows its own people to live like this

[dottyperkins]

This could happen to any one of us - lose a job, get sick or have a baby as a single Mum and the country turns it's back on you. So sad. Should not happen in the UK.

[scarymonsterer]

The most aggravating aspect is that food banks are treated as a normal part of life. It's not normal to be a working person and not be able to afford food. It's just not normal.

[Scottweeier]

I lost over $80k when everything started to tank. Not because I was in an exchange that went belly up. I was just stupid to hold and because that's what everyone said. I'm still responsible. It just taught me to be a better investor now that I understand more of what could go wrong. It took me over two years of being in the market, I'm really grateful I found one source to recover my money, at least $10k profits weekly. Thanks Kimberly Doran.

[mariamrashid]

That guy held his tears back bless him.