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Evening Standard
· collected 2026-10-05 · by Y. Áine Fox
A survey conducted by charities The Hygiene Bank and In Kind Direct found that nearly 18% of UK adults have experienced hygiene poverty, defined as the inability to afford essential items like soap or toilet roll in the past six months. Of those affected, almost half (47%) skipped buying toilet paper, while deodorant was the second most frequently avoided item at 43%. The survey highlights that this issue is not limited to low-income households but also affects working families and those previously considered financially stable.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Nearly one-fifth of UK adults reported skipping essential hygiene products like toilet roll and deodorant due to financial constraints, according to a survey by charities The Hygiene Bank and In Kind Direct. 43% of those surveyed admitted avoiding social interactions with friends or family because they couldn't afford basic hygiene items or cleaning supplies in the past six months. The report highlights that 41% of individuals experiencing hygiene poverty were doing so for the first time this year, underscoring how the cost-of-living crisis is exacerbating the issue. Hygiene poverty is defined as being unable to purchase essential hygiene products such as soap and shampoo over a period of six months. The charities warn that while younger adults, parents, renters, and low-income households are disproportionately affected, the broader impact now includes people from various income levels who struggle to afford these necessities due to insufficient incomes relative to rising costs.
Written for “Hygiene Poverty Survey” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.45, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 56971: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-05
Nearly a fifth of adults in the UK said their household had gone without hygiene products such as toilet roll and deodorant in survey results described by charities as “a wake-up call”.
asserted
household → say → call
Some 43% of those polled admitted having avoided seeing friends or family because they could not afford essential hygiene items or cleaning products in the past six months.
uncertain
they → poll → months
The latest survey for charities The Hygiene Bank and In Kind Direct found 41% of survey respondents experiencing so-called hygiene poverty were doing so for the first time this year.
asserted
% → find → time
Hygiene poverty was defined as being unable to afford basic hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, nappies or washing-up liquid in the past six months.
The charities’ report said: “As the cost-of-living crisis intensifies, more people are going without items we often take for granted, like soap, toilet rolls and deodorant.
“
asserted
we → define → soap
The issue is not the price of a single item, such as a cheap toothbrush; it’s that people’s incomes are not enough to pay for everything they need.
asserted
they → ’ → everything
They also warned that while younger adults, parents, renters and low-income households were all disproportionately affected, the “new face of hygiene poverty includes working families and those on higher incomes who were once financially stable and now describe themselves as unexpectedly unable to afford essential hygiene products”.
asserted
who → warn → products
The online survey of 3,042 UK adults online by Savanta in early June found that of the 18% in hygiene poverty almost half were most likely to skip buying toilet roll (47%), followed by deodorant (43%), shampoo (39%), toothpaste (34%), and laundry and cleaning products (38%).
asserted
half → find → deodorant
More than a quarter (28%) reported going without period products.
asserted
quarter → report → products
Michael Gidney, chief executive of In Kind Direct, which distributes products to charitable organisations across its network, said the findings “should serve as a wake-up call”.
asserted
findings → distribute → call
He added: “In our 30 years’ experience, we’re seeing that hygiene poverty is no longer confined to the households you might expect.
uncertain
you → add → households
We know it disproportionately affects people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and renters, but we’re now seeing it reach families who, until recently, considered themselves financially secure.
asserted
themselves → know → families
“One family told us that, even with two full-time incomes in their household, they’re in overdraft and struggling.
asserted
they → tell → overdraft
That’s the reality for a growing number of working households across the UK.”
asserted
That → ’ → UK
Ruth Brock, chief executive of The Hygiene Bank which works to tackle to problem by delivering essential hygiene and personal care products to people in need, said: “This research confirms what our volunteers are seeing every day in communities across the UK: hygiene poverty is growing and is no longer a hidden or marginal issue.
asserted
poverty → work → UK
“More people are facing impossible choices over everyday essentials, causing acute misery and long-term harm.
asserted
people → face → misery
“Hygiene poverty is wrecking lives today and damaging life chances and opportunities for tomorrow.
asserted
poverty → wreck → tomorrow
“Our £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund can be used by councils to run schemes such as benefit support checks so everyone knows what they’re entitled to.
asserted
they → use → what
“To ease cost-of-living pressures we have brought forward a wide range of measures including raising the National Minimum Wage and suspending tariffs on everyday staples, leading to lower prices at the till.”
asserted
we → ease → till
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