May 2022
Featured in this insight: Charity & not-for-profit, Food & drink
Nine out of ten charities polled have been affected by cost-of-living crisis: A survey of charities has revealed the extent of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, with 90% revealing they have been affected by soaring costs and the impact of rising inflation.
Fareshare, the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste, polled more than 1,200 charities and community groups for its survey – all of which rely on food from the charity to help people in their communities.
The research revealed that more than three-quarters of the charities polled have seen an increase in demand for their services in the last year, with 65% reporting that the increases in food costs have led to more people accessing their services.
More than six in ten (63%) attributed the increased demand for their services to changes in Universal Credit, while 60% pointed to unemployment. Other reasons given included rising energy bills (52%), low pay (54%) and health reasons. While more than half the charities polled said that an increase in mental health issues were a contributing factor to the increased demand for their services, a little over a third (63%) pointed to physical health issues.
Fareshare collects surplus food which is still 'good-to-eat' and distributes it to a network of over 10,000 charities and community groups.
Lindsay Boswell, FareShare CEO said: “Our survey of our charity network illustrates the impact that price rises, and the cost-of-living crisis is having on communities across the UK. With predictions that inflation is set to rise yet further, the ongoing impact that the conflict in Ukraine is having and expected tax rises, it is clear that many families – who faced furlough and uncertainty during the pandemic, are now experiencing added difficult hardship."
View more of our sector specific insights: Charity & not-for-profit, Food & drink
