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Consumer: Low income group 'can't afford enough food'
One in five people on low incomes has struggled to afford food in the past financial year, a survey indicated today.
Around 19% of people from low socio-economic groups said they had been unable to afford to eat three meals a day at some point in the 12 months to the end of March, according to poverty charity Elizabeth Finn Care.
A further 8% of people on low incomes or benefits have also not had enough money to buy essential food items, such as bread or milk.
Just over one in 10 people in this group said they had struggled to pay their household bills, and 9% have not been able to meet their council tax bills, while others have found insurance premiums are out of their reach.
The group also found 19% of people had not been able to afford an eye test or new glasses, while 15% had gone without dental work and 7% had not been able to afford a prescription.
In extreme cases, 5% of people in low socio-economic groups even said they had had to take time off work or call in sick during the year because they could not afford to travel to work.
But despite this one in four people questioned by the group said they did not think poverty was an issue in the UK.
Bryan Clover, director of casework at Elizabeth Finn Care, said: "It is worrying that only 37% of people believe poverty is the main social issue in the UK when there are people who cannot even afford to buy basic food items."
* GfK questioned 1,001 people, of whom 266 belonged to a lower socio-economic class, during March.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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