Students going hungry due to cost-of-living crisis

Students are having to choose between heating and food and as a result, are staying in cold rooms and eating less.

Most students are still relying on finding work to make their payments but are struggling to find any.

A survey performed by Save the Student revealed that 62% of students in the UK say the cost of living is affecting their mental health as they are worrying about paying bills. According to a report from Unipol, student rent has risen by 16% since 2018/19 and 61% since 2011/12.

According to the National Union of Students, the average annual rent for a student accommodation in the UK has reached £7,374 by 2021/2022. That is a 4.4% increase from last year and a 16% increase since before COVID. Since 2011/2012, the average rent has increased by 61%. Students studying outside of London average annual rent of £6,707 which is approximately 72% of the maximum student loans. In London, 88% of the maximum student loans leave students with only £38 per week.

An online fundraising site called JustGiving conducted a study and found that Crowdfunder and charities have raised more than £12 million through the platform so far, in just this year. This was to help with rent, mortgage payments, energy prices, and helping people gain access to food.

Many universities are helping students get through this crisis. My students from the University of Manchester are set to receive a cost-of-living payment. Full-time students are getting £170 and part-time students would get £85. MUSU’s Sam Broheim said she hoped students will feel like “their needs have not only been heard but met.”

Lainey Evans, a University of Manchester, is set to get her payment before the Christmas break, she says “The payment will make a huge difference. Like many others, I’ve had to make major lifestyles change due to rising costs. This payment will mean I don’t have to worry about things like if I can afford to put cheese on my jacket potatoes.”

The university is doing much more. They have introduced a “Cosy Club” that offers a warm place to hang out, there are microwaves and hot drinks available for visitors. They have free breakfasts on campus and Wednesdays. Miss Evans says: “The university and the student’s union have provided so much help.”

The University of Cambridge is reportedly going to increase University Student Hardship Fund by 50% for their undergraduate students.

Coventry University are not offering any support at this time. A student who studies at Coventry University, who wished to remain anonymous said: “I don’t have any family, so I am paying for everything myself. My loans got screwed up so the loans I do get, go into my rent plus some of my own money. I’m struggling to find work, and my boyfriend who lives in a different country has to pay for my groceries and anything extra I may need. It’s not a nice feeling to be so independent of other people and not be able to provide for myself. Last year, I paid 90p for a litre of milk and now I pay almost £2. My room is freezing all the time because if we go over a certain amount of energy we have to pay extra, and I have no spare money. I sleep in multiple layers of clothes and struggle to fall asleep because it is so cold. I feel really unsupported and like nothing is happening to support me.”

The cost-of-living crisis is happening across the world but is affecting everyone differently.

International Romanian Student, Teodor-Andrei Ramba is studying at Coventry University as a European citizen, when asked how the cost-of-living crisis is different from Romania, he said: “I think the crisis is almost everywhere… The UK right now is in a worse position than Romania. The UK felt way more expensive when I came here, but now I truly feel the consequences of the cost-of-living crisis.

And says: “I am fortunate enough to have parents that support my studies financially, but currently I have 2 jobs.  Therefore, I have enough money to live on my own in the UK. I never had to stress over not being able to pay rent or not being able to afford groceries… The government and the university haven’t really helped me, they’ve drained every single penny they could from me…I had to pay £2500 at the beginning for my visa application and for the health insurance. I was fortunate enough to get student finance for uni (9k a year), but I am not allowed to apply for a maintenance loan. So, again, I have to work with what I have, meaning no support from uni or the government.”

Depending on what country you are living in, in the UK, and their level of qualifications, students can apply for a loan, grant, or bursary to help with their day-to-day living, accommodation, food, and transport. The number of support students are entitled to depends on many things, on the student’s household income.

Students can also apply for additional trust and get help from charities for a small amount of funding or receive help from charities.

“Yahoo! Finance” did some research on what the cheapest supermarket is in the UK this October, with an average basket full of groceries and essentials. Aldi has the cheapest basket with the total coming out at £75.79, the same basket from Lidl came to £84.36. the largest grocery store in the UK, Tesco, came to £85.21. Morrisons went up to £92.72. The most expensive was Waitrose, with a total of £101.17.

 I asked Aldi how they are helping customers through this crisis, the Customer Services Senior Advisor, Evangelia Loannou said to me: “We help customers make significant savings on every shop, all year round, by being the cheapest and most efficient supermarket in the UK. Our incredibly efficient business model enables us to protect our customers from industry-wide inflationary pressures as much as we can. Our exclusive Aldi branded products are benchmarked against leading brands for quality and sold at unbeatable prices. This means we can help British families trying to manage their budgets in the face of rising household bills. We’re donating 80,000 items from our Mamia range, including nappies and baby wipes, to charities and foodbanks that help new parents on low incomes. This is off the back of a news study from Aldi and YouGuv which found that more than three quarters (77%) of new parents across the UK are worried about the cost of essential baby products for their newborn. We also partnered with Neighbourly to donate more than 700,000 meals during the summer holidays, as well as more than 100,000 books to help children across the UK continues to enjoy reading, whatever their curcumstances. In addition, we also offer our employees market-leading salaries and have increased hourly rates for more than 30,000 Aldi colleagues twice this year.”

Reena Sewraz, a Which? Money expert said: “Shopping around, checking grocery prices per unit, and writing a list of what you need beforehand are good ways to help you budget.”

The president of JustGiving, Pascale Harvie said: “The cost-of-living is something that is affecting millions of people across the country right now, and we're seeing this reflected on our platform… While it’s heartbreaking that so many people are having to turn to charities and their communities for help, the generosity shown by individuals across the country is extraordinary… As we get deeper into the winter, the situation will likely worsen. We’re here to help support those individuals, communities, and charities who are struggling.”

Many people are being affected by the current cost of living crisis. Food prices, rent, and energy prices are on the rise. Food prices are rising at the fastest rate in 45 years. The cost of basic items such as milk, bread, cheese, and eggs are rising. According to The House of Commons, energy prices have increased by 54% in April 2022. This is leading to students struggling to make rent and pay for essential foods and travel.

Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk

The price for basic groceries has gone up, for example, Heinz ketchup got 91p more expensive, milk has increased by around £1 due to inflation. Canned beans have gone up by 50% and processed meats and poultry have increased by 5.3% in the last year.

Inflation is the increase of prices over time. In the UK, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) keeps track of everyday items and keeps the prices updated. Every month the inflation figures can show how much higher or lower the prices have gotten.

The cost-of-living crisis is an important reason prices are going up. The oil and gas prices are also increasing because of the war on Ukraine, as less of it is available from Russia. The war is leading to food becoming more expensive by reducing the amount of grain available.

Despite the rising prices, the pay increase is not able to keep up. According to Office for National Statistics, average wages have only risen by 5.7% from July to September 2022.

Statista published a report stating “the unemployment rate of the United Kingdom was 3.6 percent in September 2022, which was the lowest unemployment rate since 1974.  By comparison, in the last three months to January 2021, the unemployment rate was five percent, the highest since August 2.”

Energy companies, news agencies, and universities are giving students tips on how to save money, for example:

-       Layering clothes

-       Having a hot drink

-       Time heating

-       Close doors and windows tightly

-       Cook and bake at home