As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, I’ve been worried that while there was pretty much society-wide financial support for unusually high energy costs, support on food costs is only really being targeted at those on universal credit – excluding most students.
I won’t repeat here the long-term concerns that surround maintenance support, the inadequacy of the different top ups being applied by governments, or the way in which food inflation in particular remains especially high as other aspects of the basket fall (in the rate of increase, but not necessarily in price).
In Cybil’s annual Mental Health Study for 2023, cost of living showed up as a cause of declining mental health for 3 in 4 (73 per cent) students with mental health difficulties. It also found that 3 in 5 (62 per cent) of students worry about money daily or weekly.
We’ve also been concerned – ever since this stand-alone bit of polling from the Office for National Statistics appeared in the autumn of 2021 – that the sector may be missing a persistent and significant food health issue that could be impacting other areas of the student experience.
