The Digester

Nearly 7 million in very deep hardship as UK poverty hits 30-year high

Mar 18th 2026

An analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation finds 14.2 million people in poverty in 2023/24, including 6.8 million in very deep hardship and 3.8 million who were destitute.

  • 14.2 million people, or more than one in five, were living in poverty in 2023/24, JRF reports.