The Hidden Crisis: Understanding Hygiene Poverty

When we think about poverty, our minds immediately go to food banks and empty fridges. But there's another crisis happening in our communities that remains largely invisible, one that affects confidence, health, and the ability to participate fully in society. It's called hygiene poverty, and it's time we started talking about it.

I recently sat down with Liz and Jan, the incredible women who run St Matts Community Larder in Tunbridge Wells, England, to learn more about this overlooked issue. What they shared opened my eyes to a problem that's hiding in plain sight.

The Invisible Struggle

"People aren't really aware that hygiene poverty exists, unless they're involved with food banks or community larders," Jan explains. "People think about food poverty, but it doesn't register that it goes beyond that. If you can't afford food, chances are you also can't afford hygiene items, or a lot of other really basic things."

It's a sobering reality check. While most of us are familiar with food banks, hygiene poverty remains under the radar. Yet the impact is profound and far-reaching.

Think about it: if faced with a choice between toothpaste or a loaf of bread for your children, what would you choose? The answer is obvious, but the consequences run deeper than we might imagine.

The Vicious Cycle

"It becomes a vicious circle," Liz points out. "Children aren't learning good habits from parents who can't afford to model them, like brushing their teeth regularly, and so that cycle of poor health and dental problems just continues."

At St Matts Community Larder, they see this impact firsthand. "Some people just can't afford dental care," Jan notes. "And like Liz said earlier, if it's a choice between toothpaste or a loaf of bread for your kids, you're going to choose the bread. But then long-term problems arise, because people aren't able to look after their hygiene."

The larder goes through enormous quantities of incontinence pads and sanitary products, items that are massively expensive but absolutely essential. "Even though VAT has been removed from some items, I don't think supermarkets have lowered their prices accordingly," Liz observes.

More Than Just Products

What struck me most about my conversation with Liz and Jan was how hygiene poverty connects to so many other challenges. It's not just about having soap or toothpaste, it's about comfort, confidence, and being able to participate in society.

When people can't maintain basic hygiene, it affects their ability to go to job interviews, send children to school without embarrassment, or even leave the house. It compounds isolation and can trap people in cycles of poverty that become harder and harder to break.

The Real Root Causes

Our conversation inevitably turned to why this is happening. The picture that emerged was complex but clear.

"A lot of our clients have children, and many of them are working," Liz explains. "It's not that they're not working, it's just that they still can't manage. Everything has gone up in price."

The benefit system creates particularly cruel catch-22 situations. "There's a real issue for people who fall through the gaps, those who aren't quite low enough to qualify for support. If they earn just £1 over a benefit threshold, they can lose everything."

But there's another factor that deserves attention: financial literacy. "As a society, we haven't been great at teaching people how to manage money," Liz reflects. "Everyone has credit cards now, and many people don't understand how they work."

Jan adds, "Right now, we're almost encouraging debt. You go to buy something online, and it offers you 'Buy now, pay later' schemes instantly. That's dangerous, especially for young people."

The statistics are sobering. If you have £1,000 on a credit card and only make minimum payments, it could take 25 years to clear it. Most people simply don't know this.

Breaking the Stigma

One of the most important things Liz and Jan have done is create a space without stigma. Unlike traditional food banks, St Matts Community Larder operates on a no-questions-asked basis. Anyone can turn up, pay their £4 donation, and access not just food but hygiene products, social connection, and links to other support services.

"We wanted something without stigma, because a lot of people feel there's a stigma attached to food banks," Liz explains. "They don't like being seen in a queue. And I always worry that the people who need us most might not actually come."

The larder has become much more than a place to get affordable food and hygiene products. It's a lifeline. "For some, that's their only outing of the week," Jan shares. People come back to tell them how they've stretched a whole chicken into five meals, beaming with pride at making it work.

How We Can Help

So what can we do? The answers are both simple and profound.

First, spread the word—not just about services like St Matts Community Larder, but about the issue itself. "A lot of people want to help but don't know how," Jan notes. Many people don't even know there are donation points for hygiene products in places like Boots.

But perhaps most importantly, we need to change how we approach this. "Don't just tell someone, 'Oh, you could go there,'" Liz advises. "Offer to come with them. Say, 'Let's go together.'" Sometimes the biggest barrier isn't financial—it's shame.

A Call for Change

Hygiene poverty isn't just an individual problem, it's a societal one that requires systemic solutions. We need better financial education in schools, benefit systems that don't penalize people for trying to improve their situation, and recognition that hygiene isn't a luxury, it's a basic human need.

But change starts with awareness. By talking about hygiene poverty, by supporting organizations like The Hygiene Bank and community larders like St Matts, and by treating this issue with the seriousness it deserves, we can begin to address this hidden crisis.

The next time you're doing your weekly shop, consider picking up an extra pack of toothpaste, some sanitary products, or other hygiene essentials to donate. Because while we're all just one or two paychecks away from struggling ourselves, we're also all just one small action away from making a real difference in someone's life.

Hygiene poverty may be hidden, but it doesn't have to stay invisible. It's time to bring this conversation into the light.

 
To learn more about The Hygiene Bank or to find donation points in your area, visit their website. If you're in the Tunbridge Wells area and would like to support St Matts Community Larder, they welcome both volunteers and donations.

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