'I needed a way to escape'

Radhika Sanghani hears what it means to be a sex worker in 2026 and why so many women are turning to it in the UK

- Radhika Sanghani

When Victoria was 18, she was earning minimum wage in McDonald's, financially supporting her father who'd lost his job.

She'd graduated from college but couldn't find a higher-paying job, and was on the verge of homelessness. That was when she turned to sex work.

"A friend of mine was doing it, and I needed a way to escape my living situation," says Victoria, now 26. "I didn't believe I was entitled to benefits or anything like that because I was earning over £12,000 annually with my job and I'd never received external support before, so I didn't try. I just started escorting, advertising online for clients. I needed the money, and it helped me put food on the table." Victoria's story is not unusual, but it's now becoming more common than ever. The current cost of living crisis, as well as rising inflation and price hikes, means more and more people are turning to sex work to support themselves.

The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), a grassroots organisation of sex workers, has seen a 33 per cent increase in calls to their helpline during the last six months, mainly related to women starting or restarting sex work due to the increased cost of living. Over the year, they receive hundreds of calls from women seeking support with sex work.

Decrim Now, a grassroots campaign calling for the decriminalisation of sex work, released a report in October 2025 that found 76 per cent of people started sex work due to financial need, while 77 per cent of respondents considered themselves to be disabled or to have a long-term health condition, including mental illness and neurodivergence. Of the 172 people surveyed, over half had at least one other job outside of sex work, and childcare responsibilities were a key reason for entering or continuing in sex work.