- Almost one in five UK adults have gone without essential hygiene products in the past six months, according to a survey by charities The Hygiene Bank and In Kind Direct.
- The research revealed that 41 per cent of those affected were experiencing hygiene poverty for the first time this year, with the issue increasingly reaching working families.
- Toilet roll, deodorant, shampoo, cleaning products, and toothpaste were among the most common items skipped, while 28 per cent went without period products.
- Hygiene poverty has also driven social isolation, as 43 per cent of affected respondents admitted to avoiding family and friends due to an inability to afford basic personal care items.
- In response, a government spokesperson highlighted measures to ease cost-of-living pressures, including raising the National Minimum Wage and funding council support schemes.
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