Many people in the UK ate food past its use-by date and struggled to keep warm in the run-up to Christmas as prices rose further, official data shows.
About one in five adults (18%) reported eating smaller portions and food past its use-by date, which can make people sick, according to the latest Office for National Statistics monthly data release on winter pressures. The rates are even higher among those with depression, diabetes or dependent children.
The figures, which span from 22 November until 18 December and are based on a surveyof more than 4,700 people, also show that more than two-thirds (70%) of those who ran out of food in the past two weeks and could not afford to buy more also reported struggling to keep comfortably warm. Overall, nearly a quarter (24%) said they could not heat their homes properly.
People identified this as the biggest risk to their health, alongside waiting too long for a GP or hospital appointment or having to cut back on gas or electricity to cook or heat meals.
The data shows that one in five adults are waiting for a hospital appointment or medical treatment, with a third saying the wait is having a strong negative impact on their lives, mostly in terms of wellbeing, worsening the condition, or on their mobility.
The rates were even higher for those experiencing depression, living in the most deprived areas or who have a disability. Of those waiting, one in five had waited more than a year.
Four in 10 employed adults say the wait has affected their work, with a quarter saying they have reduced their working hours as a result, and 7% have gone on long-term sick leave.
Almost a quarter say they were unable to get a GP appointment – and those with depressive symptoms were a third more likely to report this.
To help with the cost of living, about half of adults said they were spending less on food and essentials (45%), one in six (16%) said they were using more credit and about 3% were turning to charities, including food banks.
About one in seven (15%) adults were worried their food would run out before they had money to buy more in the past two weeks, with those identifying as Asian or from an “other ethnic group” particularly concerned.
One in 20 said their household had run out of food in the past fortnight, and one in 10 said they were unable to afford a balanced diet.
