More than 35 per cent of UK households receiving Universal Credit reported experiencing food insecurity in January 2026, according to new research from The Food Foundation. The survey, conducted by YouGov with 6,055 participants, found that 35.7 per cent of households on Universal Credit were food insecure at the start of this year.
Comparison with previous year
This figure represents a slight decrease from January 2025, when 38.7 per cent of Universal Credit households reported food insecurity. However, the gap remains stark when compared to households not receiving Universal Credit: only 9.2 per cent of those households experienced food insecurity in January 2026, down from 11 per cent in January 2025.
Call for government action
Hannah Brinsden, head of policy and advocacy at The Food Foundation, emphasised the need for urgent intervention. “No one should have to worry about when they will be able to have their next meal,” she said. “Yet 12 per cent of UK households and 15 per cent of households with children are experiencing food insecurity.”
Brinsden highlighted that food-insecure individuals often cut back on healthy foods like fruit and vegetables. She warned that rising food prices due to the Iran war and climate change could worsen the situation. “We need government to step up and support families,” she added, calling for expanded eligibility and value of the Healthy Start scheme.
Long-term solutions
The Food Foundation is urging the government to introduce a Good Food Bill to establish a framework with legally binding targets on food insecurity, protecting both farmers and citizens. “We need long-term commitments to reduce the impact of these shocks and build resilience in our food system,” Brinsden concluded.
