Third of Londoners suffer hygiene poverty, says charity

Almost a third of Londoners aged 16 to 55 cannot afford basic hygiene products, leaving them unable to live normally, a charity has warned.

According to research from the Hygiene Bank, about three out of 10 women in London have had to choose between buying enough food or hygiene products, and some have missed job interviews or work because of it.

It has been described as a “scandal that shouldn’t exist” by charity In Kind Direct which is campaigning with the Hygiene Bank to end it.

A spokesperson for Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said he was “determined to do all he can to support Londoners in the cost of living crisis”.

In Kind Direct chief executive Michael Gidney said hygiene poverty was “the smoke before the fire” as people go without basics like toothpaste, shampoo and washing powder before they ever visit a food bank for help.

“No parent should have to send their child to school without brushing their teeth, and no-one should miss out on opportunities because they can’t afford soap or period products,” he added.

According to the Hygiene Bank data, a third of Londoners had to choose between buying products for themselves or their children and 29% said they had missed a job interview or taken a day off work because they were not able to afford basic products.

The data, shared exclusively with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, also showed that 19% of children aged six to 15 were struggling with basic hygiene essentials.

Hygiene Bank chief executive Ruth Brock said: “This is not an inevitable part of life in Britain – together, with government, businesses and communities, we can and must end it.”

At the Abbey Centre in Westminster, service and volunteer manager Caroline Gandy-Brown described how one mother of four was unable to wash herself as she used the last piece of soap on her children and to clean the house.

“I know what it’s like to suffer this – there’s such a stigma around this,” she said.

“People try to mask their issues. Men are also struggling more and more with this – they’re impossible to talk to about it, however.”

She said funding was key to tackling it.

City Hall said measures being taken by the mayor included freezing bus and tram fares, free school meals for primary school children and providing advice at a Cost of Living Hub.

‘Baby Banks’ have also been rolled out across the city, which are stocked with shampoo, body wash, detergent and toothpaste.