UK families struggle as cost-of-living squeeze fuels reliance on food banks

Donna O’Hara, 54, with four children and a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, has been forced to rely on food banks and short-term loans after her son’s family moved out, eliminating a vital source of household income. The loss, combined with high private rent of £2,500 and a housing benefit of £1,800, leaves her facing eviction and daily embarrassment over seeking charity. Her two children receive Universal Credit, yet the basic rate is insufficient, and her son survives on £340 a month while awaiting surgery.

O’Hara’s plight underscores the broader UK cost-of-living emergency driven by inflation, weak wage growth, and post-Brexit economic strain. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is touring the country to promote a decade-long strategy that includes more social housing, Universal Credit reforms, and local investment. Experts from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Carnegie UK and the Centre for Local Economies warn that without a “protected minimum floor” and higher housing allowances, many families will remain trapped in poverty.