Event

Mitigating and measuring child hunger in the UK: the picture in 2026

This event hosted by UK think tank Social Market Foundation launches a new report measuring child food insecurity and how to tackle the challenge.

In December 2020, the SMF and Deliveroo published a report on child hunger, finding that 1 in 4 children faced some form of food deprivation in the six months following the pandemic.

Five years on, a new report will revisit this important issue in the context of recent policy changes – including the Labour Government’s expansion of the Free School Meal policy, introduction of Free Breakfast Clubs, and lifting of the two-child benefit cap – and provide new survey data to offer a snapshot of child food insecurity in 2026. Informed by expert interviews with academics and practitioners, the report will look at what has changed, what progress has been made, and what more needs to be done, and will produce a set of recommendations for policymakers.

We will be discussing questions including:

• How has the way the Government measures hunger changed since 2020, and what data are we still missing?
• How are parents experiencing food insecurity compared with five years ago?
• How effective have policy changes since 2020 been in addressing family food insecurity? What changes have made the most impact, and what more is needed?
• What is the role of the third sector and business in tackling food insecurity and hunger?

Speakers

Dr Rebecca Montacute – Research Director, Social Market Foundation (Chair)

Dani Payne – Head of Education and Social Mobility, Social Market Foundation

Sumi Rabindrakumar – Director of External Affairs, Trussell

With further speakers to be announced.

The panel will be held from 18.00 – 19.00 on Wednesday 10 June at a central London venue, with arrival and refreshments from 17.30.

If you would like to register, or have any questions about the event, please email events@smf.co.uk.