Survey shows one in eight families going without food, electricity or gas in capital

By Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

Around one in eight households with children in London say they are going without essentials such as food, electricity or gas, new polling has revealed.

The survey – conducted by YouGov and commissioned by City Hall – has highlighted how the continuing impact of the cost of living crisis on Londoners is being particularly felt by families with children.

The poll found that among all Londoners, around eight per cent report that they are going without essentials like power, heating or meals. The figure for families without children drops slightly to seven percent.

But among families with children, the proportion saying they are going without the basics rises to 13 per cent – roughly one in eight of those households.

The poll also showed almost half of London households with children – 49 per cent – think that they will struggle to pay for their regular household food shop within the next six months.

In addition, some 17 per cent of parents and carers say they are already using more credit or going into debt, including overdrafts, loans, credit or store cards or missing payments.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said the data highlighted the urgency of his free holiday meals programme, which is expected to provide around 10m free holiday meals to low-income families across the capital over the next year.

Commenting in July on the adequacy of the UK’s system of benefits and cost of living payments, a Government spokesman said: “We know people are struggling, which is why we have a plan to halve inflation and are providing record financial support worth an average £3,300 per household.

“On top of this we have raised benefits including Universal Credit in line with inflation, increased the National Living Wage and are helping households with food, energy and other essential costs.”

A recent analysis, funded by the Trust for London, found that more than three and a half million Londoners, including one million children, live on an income below what is needed for a “basic standard of living”.

(Picture: PA)