POVERTY in Britain is “out of control”, with 3.8 million people struggling to feed, clothe and keep themselves warm, the Big Issue has said. 

The magazine carried out a poll of more than 2,000 people and found almost half of those surveyed believed the new government should do more to end poverty. 

Two in five respondents, 20 per cent, suggested that doing more to reduce energy bills would do the most to support those living in poverty.

The Big Issue said the number of people in extreme poverty has “doubled in the last seven years.”

Big Issue founder John Bird said: “Poverty is out of control, and our politicians repeatedly fail to act fast enough. We refuse to accept this.”

The non-profit social enterprise is calling for a “poverty zero law” which would force governments to set legally binding targets to reduce poverty.

The group is also launching a “Big Community” initiative to find solutions to poverty in their areas and to call for “real government action.”