Two years of harsh inflation has left a quarter of US adults struggling to get a decent meal

A quarter of American adults are struggling to afford a decent meal, a sharp increase from last year as relentless inflation and the end of pandemic benefits strain millions of household budgets, a study says.

A survey by the Urban Institute found that 24.6 percent of respondents were food insecure at the end of 2022, meaning they could not always put enough food on the table, compared with just 20 percent at the end of 2021.

The results came as the Federal Reserve on Wednesday weighed whether to raise interest rates to tame inflation, which currently stands at about 6 percent, and as policymakers weighed whether to reduce the benefits of food stamps in a broader cost-cutting drive .

Kassandra Martinchek, a researcher at the think tank, said in her report that groceries rose 10.4 percent in price between December 2021 and December 2022, putting everyday basics out of reach for many shoppers.

“Food insecurity can be a canary in the coal mine for people who are experiencing great hardship and are unable to meet their household needs,” Martinchek said on social media.

Researchers found that 24.6 percent of respondents were food insecure at the end of 2022, meaning they could not always put enough food on the table, compared to just 20 percent at the end of 2021

Almost two-thirds of the 7,500 respondents said they had spent a lot more money on groceries in the past year; half complained about the rising gas costs

The proportion of Americans using food banks and other types of food assistance has fallen to 16 percent over the past year, but is still well above pre-pandemic levels

Almost two-thirds of the 7,500 respondents said they had spent a lot more money on groceries in the past year; half complained about the rising gas costs. Others complained about rising heating, rent and childcare costs.

While the proportion of people using food banks and other charities has fallen from 17.4 percent in 2021 to 16 percent late last year, this was still much higher than the 12.7 percent seen in 2019 before the pandemic hit.

According to researchers, households are increasingly buying less food or cheaper products. Others drew on their savings, put groceries on their credit cards, or borrowed money from friends or family to make ends meet.

The 20-page study chronicles stories of hardship across the US, including a network of 21 food banks in Texas on Wednesday asking state politicians to help students, many of whom are struggling to pay for food and tuition.

Lavern Spicer, a Republican politician who runs a food bank in Miami, Fla., said she understands “knows how bad it is right now” and blamed the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

“24.6 percent of Americans have trouble affording food in Joe Biden’s America,” she posted on social media on Wednesday.

“Biden doesn’t care about helping you or making sure your life is good.”

Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, instead called for the cancellation of medicine to “give Americans back their purchasing power.”

“98 million Americans had to cut back on food or utilities last year because of healthcare costs,” Khanna tweeted.

“People shouldn’t have to choose between groceries, leaving the lights on, or paying medical bills.”

The results come amid unusual and even conflicting economic indicators, including steady job creation and a tight labor market. Despite this, wages are not keeping pace with inflation and are eating into budgets.

The staggering cost of eggs has encapsulated the crisis.

The cost of a dozen tripled to $4.21 in the two years through January, driven by inflation and an outbreak of bird flu. Dollar Tree, a discount store, even stopped selling them because they’re so expensive.

The end of emergency boosts for the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which assists more than 40 million Americans this month, is expected to further hit struggling households.

Households in 35 states that benefited from the pandemic-era cash increase have lost between $95 and $250 a month. Families that are struggling are “at greater risk of food insecurity and lack adequate buffers and support to meet their daily needs,” the researchers said.

According to researchers, households are increasingly buying less food or cheaper products. Others drew on their savings, put groceries on their credit cards, or borrowed money from friends or family to make ends meet

The proportion of people using food banks and other charities fell from 17.4 percent in 2021 to 16 percent late last year, still much higher than the 12.7 percent seen in 2019 before the pandemic hit

A volunteer organizes groceries to be loaded into vehicles during a mobile food distribution by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk