Stolen food + empty lunchboxes: London’s hunger catastrophe

<p>The scale of the hunger crisis facing Londoners is revealed in a joint investigation by the Evening Standard and the Independent.</p><p>As winter approaches, headteachers and youth workers tell how the cost of living crisis is leading many families in London and other parts of the country to increasingly desperate measures.</p><p>There reports of the teenager who didn’t want to worry his heavily indebted mum asking for lunch money, hungry pupils stealing from the canteen and one headteacher telling how a mother broke down in tears saying she was arrested after being caught shoplifting spaghetti, tomato sauce and a small loaf of bread at the supermarket to feed her family.</p><p>Child Poverty Action Group data shows there are up to 800,000 children in England living in homes receiving Universal Credit who breach the £617-a-month government threshold for free school.</p><p>So, with the energy bills crisis biting now the nights are drawing in, how are London’s families coping?</p><p>Adding to the distress, there are now fears a decent Christmas will be beyond the reach of many Londoners hit by the cost-of-living crisis.</p><p>The Leader’s joined by Sara Ogilvie, CPAG policy director.</p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>