1m more people living in poverty in UK as scale of crisis laid bare

A million more people are living in poverty in the UK compared to a year ago, according to analysis that lays bare the deepening cost of living crisis in Britain.

A total of 14.4 million people were estimated to be in poverty in the UK in 2021-22 – including 4.2 million children – with an increasing number unable to afford food or pay their energy bills, an analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found. This is up from a total of 13.4 million people – including 3.9 million children – the year before.

In a situation described as “social failure at scale”, 6 million are living in very deep poverty – defined as being below 40 per cent of the median