More than 120,000 children in the UK are living in the most extreme form of poverty, according to a charity survey which suggested the situation has worsened since last year.
A rise in levels of destitution has been described as “stark and worrying” by Buttle UK, which works with children and young people in crisis.
Its survey of 1,240 frontline professionals found that some 60% of the children they work with were living in destitution – up from 45% reported the previous year and 36% in 2021.
The charity, which published its annual State of Child Poverty report on Friday, stated: “By extension, the families our frontline workers are supporting includes approximately 122,000 children living in destitution.
“The year-on-year change between the last three survey cohorts dramatically illustrates the progressively worsening circumstances for children in poverty.”
The charity described the term destitution as one describing the absolute lowest standard of living any adult, child or young person can experience, adding that the “lived reality is degrading and unsustainable”.
Social change organisation the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) defines destitution as meaning someone is going without the essentials needed to eat, stay warm and dry, and keep clean.
