More than one in three children in poverty as UK deprivation hits record high

Exclusive: Study finds almost quarter of UK population living in poverty, reaching the highest level this century

Poverty figures render government numbers too little and action very late

More than one in three children and a quarter of adults are living in poverty in the UK as deprivation levels rise to the highest in the 21st century, according to a landmark report.

The study by the Social Metrics Commission (SMC), which uses measures recently adopted by the UK government, found the cost of living crisis had plunged 2 million more people into severe hardship since 2019.