The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) says it received a record 260,799 requests for assistance in 2025, a 6% increase on 2024, with demand rising sharply in the run-up to Christmas. December requests were 12% higher year-on-year.
Food remained the biggest driver of need, with 112,772 food requests in 2025, while requests for energy assistance rose to 33,224 for the year. SVP said November 2025 was its highest-ever month for energy-related
support.
Louise Bayliss, SVP head of social policy, said the figures “only capture part of what households are facing this winter”, warning that for many on bill-pay “the first real winter bills are only now landing”.
SVP President Teresa Ryan said the charity is meeting “people who have never needed support before, including people who may previously have donated to SVP”. She warned that “the cost of staying warm and well is no longer just about electricity or gas… When food and housing costs rise at the same time, families have nowhere left to turn.”
