Huge concern over the numbers living in hygiene poverty in North Yorkshire
The hygiene bank says there has been a big rise in people who can't afford the basics
A new report from The Hygiene Bank says hygiene poverty is affecting an estimated 4.2 million adults in the UK (8% of the population), up from 3.1 million in 2022.
The study uncovers the impacts of hygiene poverty on individuals and families across the nation, exposing the effects hygiene poverty has on mental and physical health and how it acts as a barrier to education and work.
In fact, hygiene poverty limits the ability of individuals to participate in society, with 92% reporting to have decreased their social interaction with friends and family in different ways and 13% saying they have avoided going to work.
The groups found to be most affected are: 21% of people with a serious disability or long-term health condition, 18% of those from lower-income households, 12% of those from an ethnic minority background, and 11% of adults who have children living with them. Hygiene Poverty affects 17% of those who are unemployed compared with 13% of those working part-time and 7% working full-time.
Considering the impact of the cost of living, four in five (80%) said that it has had a negative impact on their ability to afford basic toiletries and those who have experienced hygiene poverty in the past 12 months are more likely to have gone without razors (50%), laundry detergent and cleaning products (46%) and deodorant (42%) because they couldn’t afford it.
Among those being affected by hygiene poverty, they admit it has affected their mental health (68%), with 50% feeling depressed or embarrassed because they are being pulled into hygiene poverty.
Children not going to school because they are too embarrassed
Vicky Hardwick is the project co ordinator of the hygiene bank in York and says they are desperate for items: "Please donate just a bar of soap will help, you give me a bar or soap and I will tell you exactly where it is going to go. Toothbrushes, washing up liquid, detergent, period products, shampoo anything please donate."
"Hygiene products are the first thing that they stop buying, you could probably use washing up liquid to wash your hair but that shouldn't be the case, you should be able to have shampoo you should be able to have shower gel."
She says hygiene poverty can have an especially devastating impact on children: "It causes all sorts of issues, like I said about mental health issues it can cause low self esteem, it can cause some bullying, they can end of not going to school because they are too embarrassed."