The lives behind the numbers — unacceptably tough, and getting harder

Members of GPAG describe in just a few words their realities of facing the injustices of poverty over the last 20 years. These are their real voices and experiences.

Nothing’s changed? Everything’s changed — it’s worse

We, as members of the Grassroots Poverty Action Group (GPAG), have supported JRF’s UK Poverty work since 2020. Since then, poverty rates have hardly moved with more than 1 in 5 people experiencing poverty. We are especially saddened and angered by the finding this year that almost half of people in poverty are experiencing the deepest forms of poverty. There are lives behind the numbers. Our own experiences make us worry about the harmful impact this will have on people’s health, relationships, aspirations and life chances. We need urgent action to protect people’s futures. There are danger signs all around us.

We know from conversations with our family, friends and people in our communities that many more people are facing financial hardship despite incomes that should protect them from living in poverty. The cost of living crisis continues to bite, affecting people both in and out of work. Struggling to afford basics such as the weekly shop is something ever-increasing numbers of people can relate to — the report finds 1 million more people are now unable to afford enough nutritious and varied food since 2021/22. A growing number of people are at risk of being pulled into poverty should they lose their job, become ill, or have to care for a loved one. We are all one disaster away from life on benefits.

Not just statistics — a reality felt every day

Daily life for people like us remains unacceptably hard, as we find ourselves focused on surviving, not living the full and thriving life that should be possible for people in a rich society. It feels like a relentless struggle to try to make ends meet, as any increases in our incomes are outweighed by the rising cost of essentials — food price inflation alone is at 4.9% in the 12 months to October 2025.

Many GPAG members are disabled and/or care for disabled family members. This report highlights the high risk of poverty disabled people face. It is a struggle to meet the additional costs associated with disability or ill health when you are already battling with rising everyday costs. We should not have to make the impossible choice of whether to charge our mobility scooter or switch on the washing machine.

Poverty makes life feel very precarious. That prickling, uneasy feeling of uncertainty, and sometimes dread, dogs our physical and mental health. People can only take so much before they start breaking down. It is like walking on an icy pond, fearing that at any point you might be plunged into the cold water. At the very least, we need a lifeline to protect us from harm. That lifeline should be a social security system that is there for us all when we need it.

Time is running out — the time for action is now

We are despondent about the state of inaction on poverty and urgently need to build systems that lift people out of poverty rather than trap them in it.

Social security saves lives. It is not always easy or popular to say this, but as GPAG members we know this statement to be true to our experience. Investing in social security can also help the economy. Money spent on social security does not just evaporate, it is spent on the everyday essentials we all need.

The values of compassion, justice and equity that underpin a functioning social security system are too often missing from the debate around poverty. These values should be central to this Government’s mission of raising living standards. The absence of these values in recent divisive rhetoric leaves us fearful about what lies ahead for people most in need of financial support. They deserve kindness and care, not blame and judgement.

The time for action is now. There is a golden opportunity right now to lift people out of poverty, an opportunity we see slipping away. Some of the actions taken in the recent Budget, particularly the removal of the two-child limit, will make a difference in time, but too many people will spend this winter struggling to afford what they need.

The report speaks to some of the policies that would, in a few pen strokes, lift hundreds of thousands of children, disabled people and other families out of poverty. It can be done, and it has been done before. The alternative is a reality that feels harder and harder to thrive in.