Cost of gluten-free food 'diabolical', says mum

A mum-of-two has said the cost of buying gluten-free food for her daughter is "absolutely diabolical".

Hayley, from Sheffield, said her weekly shopping bill "went up easily by £50 a week" after her daughter, Ivy, was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2023.

Last year, the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) scrapped gluten-free prescriptions for all but the most at-risk patients, blaming ongoing financial pressures.

Hayley, who spoke to the BBC during Coeliac Awareness Month, said she wanted to see more financial help for families who have no choice but to buy specialist foods.

Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. The only treatment is a strict, gluten free diet.

In December, the ICB said said it had surveyed the price of bread in several supermarkets and found at the highest end Lidl's GF 480g white loaf was £2.99 compared to an 800g normal loaf for 49p.

Hayley added that while "normal" pasta cost about 40p a pack, the gluten-free alternative was about £1, and though she could buy a packet of regular chocolate chip cookies for 75p, it would cost £1.62 for a pack of three gluten-free cookies.

She said: "It's hard just to live normal nowadays and having coeliac disease on top of that - we don't have a choice to not buy gluten-free food."

"It's not just the cost, also the size of things - like the loaves of bread, [they] are absolutely tiny, but yet they cost a fortune," she added.

Hayley said she would like to see the government provide support, either via a monthly allowance or by making prices for gluten-free food the same as regular varieties.

According to Hilary Croft, from Coeliac UK, the average gluten-free shop is "35% more expensive compared to gluten-containing products," and that "eight out of ten people struggle with the cost of gluten-free food".

An NHS South Yorkshire spokesperson said: "The difficult decision to make changes to gluten-free bread and flour mixes prescribing - except for the most at risk of clinical harm by not adhering to a gluten free diet - came into effect from December 2025.

"Gluten-free prescribing is one of a range of services reviewed and assessed in relation to our organisational priorities, the needs of our citizens, clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness and the provision of essential services.

"This decision was not taken lightly, however in a difficult financial climate we have a responsibility to balance the needs of all our communities and ensure we are delivering the best possible value for money within the resources available."

The South Yorkshire ICB previously said the total spend on gluten-free prescriptions for the year ending February 2025 across South Yorkshire was £443,847.

A government spokesperson said: "Living with coeliac is expensive, and this government is working to ensure more people get the support and information they need to manage the condition. We applaud efforts to raise awareness."

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