Study shows almost all people claiming Universal Credit struggle to afford to eat properly

A new study has shown that almost all people claiming Universal Credit aren’t able to eat properly, with many never eating fruit or vegetables, and a significant proportion regularly not eating for whole days at a time, leading to deficiencies in vital nutrients.

The Benefits and Nutrition Study (BEANS) was led by the University of Nottingham’s Division of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics to examine food insecurity among people who claim Universal Credit. Their findings, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, show that 85% of those in receipt of Universal Credit are food insecure and struggle to eat properly, with 73% reporting that they go whole days without food and 39% never eating fruit and 16% never eating vegetables.

The researchers also found that the loss of the £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit added during covid resulted in an almost doubling of reported reliance on food banks.

Household food insecurity is defined by having limited and uncertain access to adequate food and is currently a significant health concern. Food insecurity is associated with a range of adverse health conditions including; childhood stunting, respiratory disease and, paradoxically, obesity and diabetes. 

For this study, data was collected from 328 adults aged 16-65 from across the UK who were in receipt of Universal Credit, with the household equivalised income ranging from £135.58-£300.67 per household per week depending on the number of adults and children. Those households on less than £200 per week were found to be the most at risk of food insecurity.

Study participants completed an online survey that asked them a range of questions about their food and shopping habits. They were also asked to provide details of their food intake over a four day period. 

The data showed that participants were consuming an extremely limited diet containing few protein sources and minimal or, in some cases, zero fruit and vegetables. There was also a reliance on bread, something respondants referred to as a ‘beige’ diet. The experts analysed the micronutrient content of participants’ diets and found them to have very low intakes of vitamin A, iron, selenium, potassium, iodine and magnesium which, for many, was considerably below dietary requirements to support health.

Dr Simon Welham from the University of Nottingham who led the study, said: “Although we know that there is a link between food insecurity and poverty we were surprised by the results as it showed clearly that nearly everyone claiming Universal Credit faced food insecurity over the period of the study. It was also starkly apparent that the choices people are having to make about food will have an effect on their health, with a lack of fruit and vegetables and limited food diversity leading to micronutrient deficiencies.

“Selenium in particular stood out as one of the micronutrients people weren’t getting enough of, with the majority consuming below a level known as the lower reference nutrient intake. The lower reference nutrient intake defines an intake that is adequate for only the 2.5% of the population with very lowest requirements (typically the smallest and least metabolically active). Everyone else (97.5%) requires more. In this study, almost 70% of Universal Credit recipients consumed below this lower reference nutrient intake level. Selenium is essential as plays an indispensable role as an antioxidant to protect against damage from oxidative stress. If we can’t do this then significant tissue injury occurs and the prevalence of age associated diseases such as heart disease and cancer is far greater.”

Additionally, the study showed that people who lived further away from the shops were also more likely to experience food insecurity as they would have to make more trips on public transport to get their shopping and were limited to what they could carry, so they may have to rely on more expensive local shops with a much reduced variety of products.

Dr Welham continues: “We would expect that, as the cost of living has risen significantly since we carried out this study, the situation for people on Universal Credit today is even bleaker. This is a complex issue to solve and there are many reasons why people can’t access better food, but this study shows that interventions are needed to ensure that everyone can obtain an appropriate diet at an affordable price, or large numbers of society’s very poorest people will experience a rapid decline in health.”