FOOD and fuel poverty is rising rapidly across the county, according to a survey conducted for Devon County Council.

The number of households in Devon unable to access or afford the food that they need to ensure that they and their families stay healthy has increased by 70 per cent in 18 months, according to the report

More than a third of households say that they plan to switch off their heating altogether this winter to help make ends meet.

The results show that overall levels of household food insecurity have increased substantially over the last 18 months. 16% of Devon households are now experiencing very low food security compared with 10% in 2021.

The report says: ‘These households are experiencing substantial disruptions to their eating patterns, such as household members eating less and going hungry. They often reduce food intake because they have insufficient money to pay for enough food.

‘When asked how they would respond to the forthcoming increases in energy/fuel prices, nearly eight out of ten Devon households said they were planning to reduce energy usage this winter (79%).

‘Household types likely to be most affected and resort to borrowing, switching off heating altogether, or spending time away from their home while the heating was off including single adults with children, those with lower incomes and children, where respondents or were long-term sick or disabled, were household members had one or more mental/physical health conditions, where the main respondent was unemployed, and those renting from the council or social housing.’

The report concludes: ‘While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the increase in food insecurity has happened nationally as well, there is not any up-to-date UK comparator data available unfortunately.

‘Nonetheless, there is strong evidence that Devon may well have been hit harder than other areas.

‘This is primarily based on the proportion of Devon households on low incomes compared to national averages, and/or with adults working in sectors disproportionately affected by seasonality and the economic downturn, such as tourism and retail.

‘Indeed, the research found considerable evidence of in-work food poverty among working households.

‘Furthermore, it was very evident from the research that Devon households that were food insecure were also the most likely to be facing significant issues with keeping warm and paying increased energy/fuel bills this winter.

‘It is on these vulnerable and disadvantaged households, together with those facing in-work poverty hat Devon’s food and fuel support interventions should be targeted.

The research was undertaken by Transform Research on behalf of Devon County Council. The findings are based on interviews with a representative sample of 1,206 households from across Devon conducted in September and October 2022, and was published in January 2023.

Key findings from the research were that:

l General awareness of food and fuel support initiatives needs to be greatly increased.

l Uptake of free school meals should be prioritised.

l NHS health records should be used to target support on households most likely to be fuel insecure, ie those with health conditions, disability, etc.

l DWP records should be used to target support on households most likely to be food insecure, ie those on Universal Credit or legacy benefits.