'I can't afford to turn the oven on': 7.4m households struggling to buy essentials
A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reveals that 7.4 million low-income households in the UK are struggling to afford basic essentials like food and heating. The cost of living crisis has forced many to skip meals or cut back on necessities.
Why it matters
The data underscores the deepening economic hardship faced by vulnerable populations, highlighting the gap between current government policy and the reality of household poverty.
Image caption, Elaine Yates, 77, says she can't remember the last time she used her oven to cook a hot meal
Four years into the cost of living crisis, almost two-thirds of low-income families say they struggle to buy essentials such as clothes, heating and food, according to anti-poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).
A record 62% of low-income families were unable to afford an essential item in the past six months, the charity found - the equivalent of 7.4m households, up from 7.1 million a year ago.
Almost half of those surveyed had skipped a meal or cut portion sizes to save money.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised to set out how he will "give people some breathing space, help with the cost of living," including cutting VAT on electricity bills from October.
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