VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Food Poverty: Children

Asked by Neil Duncan-JordanLabourDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 30 June 2026UIN 12018

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish her Department’s analysis of food insecurity trends and the implications for children’s health and educational outcomes.

Answered by Dame Diana Johnson

Statistics on the number of individuals living in food insecure households in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being  Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 - GOV.UK. The table showing the trends of number of individuals living in food insecure households is published as “table 9_1ts” of “food-security-hbai-timeseries-2019-20-2024-25-tables”.

The latest statistics published in March 2026 are for the financial period 2024/25. The latest available data can also be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Questions on food insecurity were first introduced into the Family Resources Survey in 2019/20.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim