One in 5 UK households had to borrow money or use savings to pay for food in April 2013-BBC

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5/4/13, "Which? poll says many 'borrowing money for food'," BBC

"One-in-five UK households borrowed money or used savings to cover food costs in April, a Which? survey says. It suggests the equivalent of five million households used credit cards, overdrafts or savings to buy food.

The consumer group runs a monthly insight tracker survey focused on spending and behaviour - 2,000 people took part in its poll. Which?'s executive director, Richard Lloyd, described the findings as "simply shocking"....

Of the households covered by the Which? survey, 43% were headed by people between 30 and 50, while just under half had incomes under £21,000.

The research found that 55% of those using credit to do weekly shopping planned to cut back on food in the coming months, with almost a third saying they had to borrow from friends or family in order to make ends meet.

The study also found that one quarter of people said that they were living comfortably on their incomes and that more than one third - 36% - felt their finances were under pressure.

Almost one third - 31% - of those surveyed cut back spending on essentials last month, and they were most likely to be women aged between 30 and 49.

Mr Lloyd said: "Our tracker shows that many households are stretched to their financial breaking point, with rising food prices one of the top worries for squeezed consumers....

A spokesman for Oxfam said that millions of people were under pressure from a combination of rising prices and stagnant incomes - with their problems added to by cuts to services and safety nets."


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