Destitution in the UK

Much media attention has been given to the increased use of food banks as an indicator of the prevalence of extreme hardship, painting a picture of increasing destitution in the UK. Evidence to support this, however, is scarce. This new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation sets out to address this issue by defining destitution in the UK, looking at how many people are affected, who they are, and the main pathways in and out of destitution. It also looks at the impact and experience of those people directly affected.