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With the rising cost-of-living including rising food prices, many household budgets are stretched, and people are struggling to afford enough food.  Lower income households are impacted the most and many families are making decisions to cut back on food, including fruit and vegetables, which will have consequences on long-term health and educational attainment.

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Food security means access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.  In the UK, ~10% of households either have low or very low food security. The lowest level of food security is amongst those with disability, younger age for head of household (under 24) and households with children (in particular single adult head of household)1,2,3. During 2024, ~3.5% of households had used a food bank in the previous 12 months, highlighting that not all households that are experiencing food insecurity are accessing food support.

 

Preliminary analysis of information collected by Citizens Advice Stevenage when advising clients, shows that in the Stevenage area 2,661 clients received referrals or were directed to non-referral emergency food support services over a four-year period from April 2022 – April 2026. Similar to the national picture, of those clients who received emergency food support and provided demographic information, 56% have a disability with the majority (44%) having multiple impairments. The majority are single adults (45%), followed by those with dependent children (36%)  (single adults (24%) or couples with dependent children (12%). 68% of clients are in rented accommodation, of which 44% is council or housing association housing.

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Not everyone experiencing low household food security will seek emergency food support via Citizens Advice.  Therefore, we want to understand the bigger picture of Household Food Security in the Stevenage area, and we want to hear from you!

 

We are currently conducting a short anonymous survey open to ALL Stevenage residents and the information collected will provide valuable data and insights into the current level of food security and who is experiencing the lowest food security in the Stevenage community.  Access the survey by scanning the QR code or via the link below.

 

STEVENAGE HOUSEHOLD FOOD SURVEY

 

The survey results will help us identify where support is most needed, help ensure that households who need support to access food are made aware of the services and resources available to them, and to determine if additional food support services are required that will shape future project areas. Results from the survey will be shared and discussed with Citizen Advice Stevenage staff and with our partner organisations with responsibility for delivering food support services.  Following this, survey results and outcomes will be shared publicly via Citizens Advice Stevenage.

For those who are experiencing food insecurity in the Stevenage area, please follow the link below to our blog which provides more information about places in the Stevenage area that you can get access to food and essentials. Many do not require a referral and there are options where you can choose your own food for a small fee.