Over a quarter (27%) of UK households with children under the age of four experienced increased food insecurity in January 2023.
According to data from The Food Foundation, food insecurity rates are higher in households with children under the age of four than those with only school-age children, or no children at all. In January 2023, food insecurity was experienced by 23% of households with school-age children (5-17 years) compared to 15% of households without children.
The information comes as the government revealed that Healthy Start uptake is currently at 64%, falling short of the 75% NHS target set for March 2023.
The Food Foundation, Sustain and organisations working across food security and early years health and nutrition in the UK are now calling for the government to improve these statistics, as this age group is at particularly high risk of food insecurity.
Healthy Start is asking for the government to commit £5 million of funding for a comprehensive communications campaign to improve awareness and uptake of Healthy Start, increase the Healthy Start allowance in line with food price inflation and expand eligibility to all families on Universal Credit, in line with the National Food Strategy.
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In February, the Food Foundation welcomed commitments from London mayor Sadiq Khan to provide free school meals for primary school children over the next year, to help families cut costs amid the cost-of-living crisis.
The Food Foundation is also calling on retailers to promote the Healthy Start Scheme to raise awareness among eligible customers as part of the Kid’s Food Guarantee.
In a response given on 21st March to a parliamentary question, DHSC stated that there “are no current plans to extend the eligibility criteria for the scheme by one year to cover children under the age of five or increase the value of Healthy Start”.
Executive director of The Food Foundation, Anna Taylor said: “Debilitating food price rises are making it incredibly challenging for low-income young families to afford a healthy diet. This is extremely concerning given how important good nutrition is for young children’s growth and development.
“Healthy Start is a highly-targeted scheme that should be helping families most in need, but pitifully low uptake levels mean there are families all over the country who are missing out on this statutory scheme.”
Taylor added: “Much more needs to be done by government to make sure uptake improves – implementing the recommendations set out in the National Food Strategy is a good place to start.”
Local action coordinator at Sustain, Vera Zakharov also commented: “Food prices are at a record high, with some fruit and vegetable lines up to 25% more expensive in the wake of recent shortages.
“Now more than ever families with young children need the benefits they’re entitled to, which is why it’s so disappointing that the government has missed its own target of 75% uptake of Healthy Start by March 2023.
“Frontline health workers and local authorities are working hard to reach eligible families but they need government to play its part.”
She concluded: “Government needs to increase the value of the payments in line with inflation and commit to an information campaign so eligible families know how they can claim the free fruit, vegetables and milk they’re entitled to.”
