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The £184 billion question: What would happen if the unpaid carers stopped caring?
torn heart
 Emily Holzhausen

The £184 billion question: What would happen if the unpaid carers stopped caring?

The CEO of Carers UK says demands for care are growing and simply cannot be met by the crumbling system
Big Issue is heading into schools to inspire the next generation to dismantle poverty
Big Issue Education programme shows a Big Issue vendor speaking to children in a school
Education

Big Issue is heading into schools to inspire the next generation to dismantle poverty

What would happen if the UK’s volunteers stopped volunteering?
Volunteering

What would happen if the UK’s volunteers stopped volunteering?

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What does the end to the two-child limit on benefits mean for you?
Child poverty

What does the end to the two-child limit on benefits mean for you?

The movie-buff vendor and the glasses that changed everything
Advertorial

The movie-buff vendor and the glasses that changed everything

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Inside the Big Issue: The hidden heartbeat of the nation
Inside the Big Issue

Inside the Big Issue: The hidden heartbeat of the nation

Like Rick Astley, volunteers never give up. They are the UK’s hidden heartbeat
Steven MacKenzie

Like Rick Astley, volunteers never give up. They are the UK’s hidden heartbeat

Letters: The government should build MPs a hotel, then they won’t need second homes
MPs in the House of Commons
Letters

Letters: The government should build MPs a hotel, then they won’t need second homes

See the best of Big Issue’s legendary Spring Kids Cover Competition
Spring Kids Cover Competition

See the best of Big Issue’s legendary Spring Kids Cover Competition

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

Advice

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The science behind why you can’t lose weight  
An illustration of a brain and cupcake on a scale
Books

The science behind why you can’t lose weight  

Have you been made redundant? Here’s what to do next
Stock image of a man walking out of an office with his belongings after being made redundant
Money

Have you been made redundant? Here’s what to do next

This Debt Awareness Week, we want people to know it’s nothing to be ashamed of
Money

This Debt Awareness Week, we want people to know it’s nothing to be ashamed of

How to make 2026 the year you get out of debt
person worrying about bills
Vikki Brownridge

How to make 2026 the year you get out of debt

Meet our vendors

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Sam Oates, Co-op, Mill Street, Bideford, Devon

Sam Oates, Co-op, Mill Street, Bideford, Devon

Paula Langa, Aldi, Newport Road, Cardiff

Paula Langa, Aldi, Newport Road, Cardiff

Paul Thompson, Tesco Superstore, Brewery Lane, Bridgend

Paul Thompson, Tesco Superstore, Brewery Lane, Bridgend

Fergal Lewis Barker, Tesco, Clytha Park Road, Newport

Fergal Lewis Barker, Tesco, Clytha Park Road, Newport

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Letters: Big Issue’s Changemakers showed that in dark times it’s important to have hope
Letters

Letters: Big Issue’s Changemakers showed that in dark times it’s important to have hope

Big Issue brand hits milestone of putting £200 million in vendors’ pockets worldwide
Vendor Grant Elder previously sold the Australian Big Issue in Canberra, Australia, and now sells the British Big Issue in Edinburgh. Credit: Juliette Pedram for Big Issue
Behind the scenes

Big Issue brand hits milestone of putting £200 million in vendors’ pockets worldwide

What do the government’s vet prices reforms mean for pet owners?
Vet bills

What do the government’s vet prices reforms mean for pet owners?

I’m turning 80. My birthday wish? Take the Big Issue when you buy
John Bird

I’m turning 80. My birthday wish? Take the Big Issue when you buy

Opinion

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The £184 billion question: What would happen if the unpaid carers stopped caring?
torn heart
 Emily Holzhausen

The £184 billion question: What would happen if the unpaid carers stopped caring?

Local housing allowance stays frozen this year. Renters need housing benefit to keep up with rents
a stressed old man with his hand out in despair
Morgan Vine

Local housing allowance stays frozen this year. Renters need housing benefit to keep up with rents

Like Rick Astley, volunteers never give up. They are the UK’s hidden heartbeat
Steven MacKenzie

Like Rick Astley, volunteers never give up. They are the UK’s hidden heartbeat

Overseas domestic workers are abused by employers. The UK visa system makes it worse
Eleanor Lyons is the independent anti-slavery commissioner.
Eleanor Lyons

Overseas domestic workers are abused by employers. The UK visa system makes it worse

Newsletters

Sign up to Survival Guide: The Big Issue’s cost of living newsletter with human stories at the heart
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Cost of living crisis

Sign up to Survival Guide: The Big Issue’s cost of living newsletter with human stories at the heart

Sign up to our free Inside the Big Issue newsletter
Big Issue magazine

Sign up to our free Inside the Big Issue newsletter

Culture

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The Comfort of Distant Stars by IO Echeruo book review: An unusual coming-of-age story
Review

The Comfort of Distant Stars by IO Echeruo book review: An unusual coming-of-age story

It is an enthralling story of science, faith, identity and human connection
The Library of Traumatic Memory by Neil Jordan review: a story that aims for the heart and head
Review

The Library of Traumatic Memory by Neil Jordan review: a story that aims for the heart and head

The science behind racism: How discrimination is still holding people back in the jobs market
A rejected stamp on an employment contract
Books

The science behind racism: How discrimination is still holding people back in the jobs market

Letter To My Younger Self

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Michaela Strachan: ‘It’s sad we’re raping the ocean for marine collagen. We should embrace ageing’
Letter To My Younger Self

Michaela Strachan: ‘It’s sad we’re raping the ocean for marine collagen. We should embrace ageing’

Baroness Hale: ‘I’ve had a pretty amazing life. I’d love to know what my mum would have thought’
Letter To My Younger Self

Baroness Hale: ‘I’ve had a pretty amazing life. I’d love to know what my mum would have thought’

Nick Mohammed: ‘Doing the school drop-off during Celebrity Traitors was crazy’
TV

Nick Mohammed: ‘Doing the school drop-off during Celebrity Traitors was crazy’

Former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon: ‘Trump? Hopefully he’ll just keel over and die’ 
Letter To My Younger Self

Former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon: ‘Trump? Hopefully he’ll just keel over and die’ 

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‘Explain to me why I’m homeless’: Rough sleeper’s rage tells us a lot about what’s keeping people homeless
Homelessness

‘Explain to me why I’m homeless’: Rough sleeper’s rage tells us a lot about what’s keeping people homeless

‘Frustrated, angry, exhausted’: Food banks forced to ‘throw out food donated by supermarkets’
Food bank shelves
Food banks

‘Frustrated, angry, exhausted’: Food banks forced to ‘throw out food donated by supermarkets’

Disabled woman forced to quit job she loves after DWP support slashed: ‘I can’t make it make sense’
Access to Work

Disabled woman forced to quit job she loves after DWP support slashed: ‘I can’t make it make sense’

‘It’s devastating’: UK’s biggest companies locking autistic people out of jobs with personality tests
Workplace inclusion

‘It’s devastating’: UK’s biggest companies locking autistic people out of jobs with personality tests

Life

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The movie-buff vendor and the glasses that changed everything
Vendor Stuart sat at a desk, smiling at the camera, wearing a red Big Issue tabard, his arm extended over copies of the magazine
Advertorial

The movie-buff vendor and the glasses that changed everything

Letters: The government should build MPs a hotel, then they won’t need second homes
MPs in the House of Commons
Letters

Letters: The government should build MPs a hotel, then they won’t need second homes

Should we have to pay more council tax from April?
a person holding open an empty wallet
Council tax

Should we have to pay more council tax from April?

Letters: Sob stories from landlords about thermal upgrade costs leave me cold
Letters

Letters: Sob stories from landlords about thermal upgrade costs leave me cold

Inside The Big Issue

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Big Issue is heading into schools to inspire the next generation to dismantle poverty
Big Issue Education programme shows a Big Issue vendor speaking to children in a school
Education

Big Issue is heading into schools to inspire the next generation to dismantle poverty

Inside the Big Issue: The hidden heartbeat of the nation
Inside the Big Issue

Inside the Big Issue: The hidden heartbeat of the nation

Inside the Big Issue: Our legendary Kids Cover Competition!
Inside the Big Issue

Inside the Big Issue: Our legendary Kids Cover Competition!

Inside the Big Issue: Exclusive interview with Kneecap after the chaos. What happened next?
Cover of Kneecap's Big Issue exclusive, on sale Monday 23 March.
Inside the Big Issue

Inside the Big Issue: Exclusive interview with Kneecap after the chaos. What happened next?