Food Bank Aid Doubles Across UK

                                                                                                                                                              Monday June 9 2014

MORE than 20 million meals were handed out across the UK in 2013 to hard pressed families by food banks and food aid charities, according to a new report published today (Mon).

Below the Breadline, new research jointly published by Church Action on Poverty, Oxfam and The Trussell Trust, reveals a 54 per cent increase on 2012 among those who could not afford to feed themselves.

The report details how changes to the social security system, benefit sanctions, low and stagnant wages, insecure and zero-hours contracts and rising food and energy prices are all contributing to the increasing numbers of meals handed out by food banks and other charities. According to the report, food prices have increased by 43.5 per cent over the last eight years. During the same time the poorest 20 per cent have seen their disposable income fall by £936 a year.

People using food banks spoke of the struggle to feed themselves and of deteriorating health. One woman described her situation as, “like living in the 1930s and through rationing”, while another said “I wouldn’t eat for a couple of days, just drink water”. Research shows that over half a million children in the UK are living in families that are unable to provide a minimally acceptable diet.

Niall Cooper, Director of Church Action on Poverty said: “Protecting its people from going hungry is one of the most fundamental duties of Government. Most of us assume that when we fall on hard times, the social security safety net will kick in, and prevent us falling into destitution and hunger. We want all political parties to commit to re-instating the safety net principle as a core purpose of the social security system, and draw up proposals to ensure that no one in the UK should go hungry."

Chris Mould, Chairman of The Trussell Trust said: “Trussell Trust food banks are seeing parents skipping meals to feed their children and significant repercussions of food poverty on physical and mental health. Unless there is determined policy action to ensure that the benefits of national economic recovery reach people on low-incomes we won’t see life get better for the poorest anytime soon.”

Mark Goldring, Oxfam Chief Executive, said: “At a time when politicians tell us that the economy is recovering, poor people are struggling to cope with a perfect storm of stagnating wages, insecure work and rising food and fuel prices. The Government needs to do more to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable aren’t left behind by the economic recovery.”

The three charities are calling on the Government to urgently draw up an action plan to reverse the rising tide of food poverty and to collect evidence to understand the scale and cause of the increases in food bank usage.

The report will feature on tonight’s Dispatches, to be broadcast at 7.30pm on Channel 4. The documentary, Breadline Kids, will follow three families in their daily lives as they struggle to feed themselves.

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