Single parents are most likely to skip meals due to rising food prices and the ever-growing cost of living crisis, worrying new research shows.
Close to a third of single parents have now resorted to skipping meals to make ends meet, according to Which?.
The consumer champion is calling on businesses to do more to help struggling families.
In particular, it wants supermarkets to have prices that are easy to compare and budget food ranges that are widely available.
The survey conducted by Which? found three in ten single parent households skipped meals as a consequence of rising food prices.
Its analysis also showed single parent and retired households have experienced a particularly high lived inflation rates compared to other families.
Speaking about the effects of growing costs of food, a 43-year-old woman from the North West, told researchers: “I can’t do anything other than pay bills and can barely feed my children some weeks.
"I walk around the supermarket adding up what I can spend.”
Another 34 year-old respondent from Scotland said: “I’m not eating properly so that I have enough money to feed and clothe my kids and still have enough to put in my electricity meter…
"I don’t know what I will do once it gets cold… I worry about this daily while trying to make sure my kids are eating as healthy as possible, which is hard when you’re on a budget.”
Households with only one parent, or with retirees, are more likely to spend a greater proportion of their budget on food, energy and fuel, Which? found - which have all seen large price hikes most recently.
These homes are estimated to spend just under a third (30%) of their income on energy, food and fuel from September 2022.
This drops to a quarter (25%) of their income for couples with children and for single households without children (24%) and a fifth (22%) for couples without children.
Nevertheless, all households are spending significantly more of their income on essentials than they did a year ago.
Data from researchers at Kantar showed food price inflation hit 16.4% in October – its highest level since 1977 – because of big increases in the cost of staple items such as milk, butter, cheese, pasta and eggs.
The survey also found that one in seven parents would struggle to pay if an unexpected, but necessary, bill of £300 were to be required of them, adding that they are also the household type most likely to be relying on food banks.
Further to this, shockingly, almost eight in ten single parents with children said that they had to make at least one financial adjustment due to the cost of living crisis to cover spending costs - such as cutting back on essentials, selling items or dipping into savings.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: “Our research has found that families across the UK are struggling with the rising cost of living - with single parents most likely to be skipping meals or turning to food banks to make ends meet.
“As food prices continue to increase it is crucial that everyone is able to access affordable food that is healthy for themselves and their families."
Ms Concha added: “While the government has a crucial role to play, supermarkets can also play their part in helping their customers navigate the tough months ahead.
" Budget lines for healthy and affordable essential items need to be widely available across their stores and supermarkets should ensure shoppers can easily compare the price of products to get the best value. Promotions should be targeted at supporting those most in need.”
