LGBTQ people in the UK are far more likely to go hungry, food insecurity data suggests.
Newly published data on hunger in the UK reveals a shocking 34% of LGBTQ people experienced food insecurity in 2024. In contrast, only 16% of LGBTQ people used charitable food provisions after going hungry.
In comparison, 15% of non-LGBTQ people faced food insecurity last year, with 6% using food provisions.
The Trussell Trust, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to combating food inequality, reported that at least 14.1 million people in the UK faced food insecurity in 2024.
This statistic marks a significant increase in food inequality compared to previous years, with 11.6 million people reportedly going hungry in 2022.
The charity highlights that food inequality disproportionately affects LGBTQ individuals. In 2024, 8% of people referred to food banks were LGBTQ .
Queer women were particularly vulnerable, with 34% of LGBTQ women experiencing food insecurity compared to 17% of LGBTQ men. This aligns with existing research suggesting that the LGBTQ community faces more societal and systemic barriers, such as mental health support and unemployment.
Helen Barnard, director of policy, research and impact at Trussell, urges the government to ensure that all groups in society are not left hungry by supporting provisions like food banks. She emphasises that hunger and hardship are increasingly seen as a normal part of everyday life in the UK, but this is not an inevitable trend. Instead, it is the result of systems that urgently need updating.
Barnard stresses that it is not right that millions of people from all walks of life – including pensioners, disabled people, working families, and carers – are struggling to make ends meet. She firmly believes that nobody in the UK should face hunger.
Research revealed that three in ten people referred to food banks come from working-class households, while over one in four children live in food-insecure households.
A survey by Ipsos found that among the 3.8 million children living in food-insecure housing, the majority are under the age of five.
Alarmingly, the report highlighted that having paid work isn’t enough to combat hunger, as 30 per cent of people referred to food banks come from homes where someone is employed.
A survey of individuals using food banks revealed that 17 per cent of all UK households are left with an average of just £104 a week after housing costs. Housing costs cover all living expenses, including food, utilities, travel for work or school, and toiletries.
This as well as making it harder for LGBT people to work is unacceptable
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