Tag: hunger

More than 1.42 MILLION emergency food parcels distributed in past six months

Food banks in our community gave out just over 1,428,000 emergency food parcels across the UK between April and September this year, charity Trussell Trust reports today.

This includes 508,000 parcels provided for children facing hunger across the UK.

The majority of food parcels were distributed to families with children, with 63% of the total number of parcels going to households with children aged 0–16, the charity reports. More than 277,000 people visited a food bank in the Trussell community for the first time between April and September.  

The total number of parcels provided across the UK is 67,000 fewer when compared to the same period last year, representing a 4% decrease. Trussell says there are a number of possible reasons for this recent small dip, such as the gradual slowdown in the extortionate price hikes we experienced on food and bills in recent years, and an end to the Local Housing Allowance freeze in April, bringing support for private renters back in line with local rents. 

However, Trussell says it’s difficult to say if there has been an actual drop in hunger and hardship. The need for emergency food is still persistently high, and the number of parcels provided is 69% greater than the same period in 2019. 

In fact, some UK regions saw a marginal increase in the number of food parcels provided. East of England and London saw increases of 1% and 4% respectively in the numbers of parcels provided.  

Trussell says while food banks are a last resort for people who’ve been left isolated, facing hunger, and without enough money to live on, many are at breaking point due to years of growing numbers of people forced through their doors. 

Winter is often the busiest time for food banks and Trussell is calling on the public to continue to play their part and support their local food banks to meet this urgent need, by volunteering, donating, fundraising or campaigning to help end hunger in the UK. 

Food banks offer hope, dignity and relief to people facing hardship. Many need vital funds to provide services beyond distributing emergency food, such as advice and support that unlocks money someone should be getting and services aimed at helping people out of financial hardship.    

Trussell says the evidence is clear that hunger in the UK isn’t a food problem, it’s an income problem. People are being forced to turn to food banks because incomes from work, and social security payments, do not cover the cost of the essentials, such as food, bills, and toiletries.

That’s why Trussell has also joined forces with hundreds of communities, food banks and charities including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in calling on the UK government to take urgent action now.  

Today, food banks across the UK have joined together to rally for change and are giving out a newspaper, the Hardship Times, in Westminster. The newspaper is made up of messages of hardship and hope, collected from hundreds of food banks across the UK.   

The charity says there is hope and it knows we can end hunger, if positive action is taken. The UK government must act swiftly to follow up announcements in the recent Budget, with a clear plan to meet its manifesto commitment to end the need for emergency food and ensure that we do not see even more people facing hunger and hardship on its watch.  

This plan should include investment in our social security system, at the very least introducing a protected minimum floor in Universal Credit to limit the amount of reductions that could be applied to a household’s Universal Credit. This would ensure, for the first time, that there would be a real safety net below which no one could fall.

The charity says this would be a low cost but concrete step towards ensuring our social security system protects people from facing hunger and hardship.  

Emma Revie, Chief Executive of Trussell, said: “The sheer numbers of people still facing hunger and hardship across the UK is heartbreaking. This cannot go on and we refuse to stand by while so many of us are pushed to the brink, left without enough money to live on.  

“Our food banks are a lifeline, offering a warm welcome and space to be heard. They need everyone to play their part to move us towards ending the need for emergency food in the UK.

“You can help make sure food banks can continue to provide warm, compassionate, practical support and advice this winter by volunteering, donating, fundraising or campaigning to help end hunger in the UK. 

“Meanwhile, alongside our community of food banks campaigning today in Westminster, we will continue to call for change.

“The UK Government was elected with a manifesto pledge to end the need for emergency food and the time to act is now. There have been promising steps, but we need a clearer plan with more decisive action to invest in our social security system, if we are to end hunger once and for all.” 

Number of emergency food parcels distributed by food banks in the Trussell community: 1 April – 30 September 2019, 2023, and 2024:      

        1 April – 30 September 2019 1 April – 30 September 2023 1 April– 30 September 2024 
For adults For children   Total   For adults For children Total   For adults For children Total   
UK 534,786 309,203 843,989 952,394 542,915 1,495,309 920,960 507,721 1,428,681 
England 411,598 243,697 655,295 785,489 451,713 1,237,202 764,077 424,758 1,188,835 
Scotland 75,361 36,891 112,252 87,485 42,136 129,621 82,424 39,967 122,391 
Wales 37,262 21,199 58,461 56,496 32,209 88,705 53,878 28,907 82,785 
Northern Ireland 10,565 7,416 17,981 22,924 16,857 39,781

£100 million new aid for over three million vulnerable Ethiopians as humanitarian crisis deepens

  • UK Government announces new aid to save the lives of mothers and babies in Ethiopia as UK warns of growing risk of humanitarian catastrophe.
  • The funding comes as the UK’s Development and Africa Minister, Andrew Mitchell, returns from a 2-day visit to the country,  witnessing the humanitarian crisis first hand
  • UK calls on the international community to step up efforts to prevent a major crisis

More than three million Ethiopians, including mothers and babies, will receive lifesaving help from the UK through a new humanitarian aid programme and further support for the Tigray region. The uplift has been announced by UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell following a two-day visit to Ethiopia.

While in Ethiopia, Mr Mitchell set out a series of actions the UK is taking to help stem the worsening tide. He announced a new UK fund worth £100 million for Ending Preventable Deaths that is targeted on children, particularly children under the age of five, and also on pregnant and post-natal women.

The programme will help more than 3 million Ethiopians – mostly women and children – access essential health services. The funding will increase, among other things, access to family planning support, medicines, and childhood vaccinations.

In addition, emergency funding will help 75 health centres tackle malnutrition and other preventable causes of death such as malaria and cholera.

Across northern Ethiopia, millions of people are facing hunger. War and climate change have crippled crop production and driven people off their lands. The conflict in Tigray has left more than 1 million people displaced.

The combination of conflict and failed harvests in northern Ethiopia have plunged over 3 million into a state of critical food security and hunger. Millions more people are in need, with women and young children in particular, severely affected.

The Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said: “The crisis is a wake-up call to the world. Food shortages are at a critical level. War has displaced people and decimated vital infrastructure. Climate change and El Nino have fuelled local exoduses with 400,000 displaced in the Somali region of Ethiopia as of last December. 

“Millions are trapped in displacement, hunger and need.  As ever the most vulnerable people, particularly women and children, are the first to be hit.

“The international community needs to come to Ethiopia’s side and work with our friends in the government and international partners to halt and reverse this crisis. In a region that has experienced the horrors of famine in the past, we must ramp up international efforts to avert a major crisis in the near future. We need to act fast and act now.”

The Government and international donors are responding to the needs of 6.6 million people. But as the Minister has warned, the number of critically food insecure people is growing rapidly and will reach 10.8 million in the coming months. 

 Mr Mitchell stressed that while the UK is taking positive action which will save lives on the ground, its efforts alone will not be sufficient to contain the crisis, and that urgent cooperation with international partners and agencies and government will be necessary to prevent the worst.

Meeting with the Government of Ethiopia, he also discussed the UK’s humanitarian commitment to Ethiopia, to women and girls, ending internal conflict, and issues affecting regional stability, including the recent Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and the Somaliland authorities on access to the Red Sea.

Prezzo pledges to feed thousands of vulnerable people and families on low incomes this Christmas

  • Prezzo and Feeding Britain are working together to bring platefuls to those who need it the most this Christmas. 
  • As part of the “Love Every Moment This Christmas” campaign, Prezzo is celebrating local heroes who have done outstanding work over the last year to give them a chance to create new memories with loved ones this Christmas

Hunger has no place in the 21st century. With research showing that 3 million children go hungry during the school holidays due to the loss of free school meals* and the additional financial pressure during the Christmas period, many can find it hard to relax and celebrate with loved ones during the festive period.

That’s why Prezzo has partnered with Feeding Britain, a leading charity that helps provide meals to vulnerable people and families on low income, to provide an additional 15,000 meals and create special moments for everyone this Christmas. 

To support the “Love Every Moment This Christmas” campaign, Prezzo and Feeding Britain are inviting everyone to get involved in two ways.

Firstly, you can nominate unsung heroes within your community who have done amazing things over the last 12 months and deserve to be celebrated. Maybe they delivered meals or helped raise vital funds, or they went above and beyond to help look after vulnerable people during the pandemic.

Simply visit https://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk/christmas/heroes to nominate and share an inspiring story of someone special for their chance to receive VIP treatment at their local Prezzo with friends & family

If you’re not able to nominate a local hero, but would love to still show your support, you can visit https://feedingbritain.org/donations/prezzo/ to donate and help Feeding Britain and Prezzo provide more meals for vulnerable people in the UK – all from as little as £2!

Karen Jones, Chairman at Prezzo said “Last year, we didn’t get the chance to make Christmas memories with family, friends and loved ones. This year will be different. We’re delighted that this Christmas we will be able to welcome and celebrate with our customers! 

“That’s why we want to help bring our communities together and allow them to make new memories and love every moment. We’re delighted to be working with Feeding Britain to celebrate local heroes and to be raising vital funds for the incredible work that they do across the UK.”

Andrew Forsey, National Director at Feeding Britain says “We are enormously grateful to Prezzo for their generous support which will add massively to our ability to help families in need this Christmas.”

World’s first ad campaign NFT auction goes live

The world’s first Non-Fungible Token (NFT) auction of an advertising campaign opens to bidders yesterday (August 2nd 2021) for seven days (ends August 8th 2021), and it’s all for a good cause.

Ekstasy, an award-winning London based creative advertising agency, has launched the NFT auction to support food charity Magic Breakfast.

It is the first creative advertising agency to raise money for a charity in this innovative way. The winning bidder will win a campaign created by Ekstasy that consists of TV, digital out of home and radio advertising. This is a new and exciting way to raise money for charity. The NFT ad campaign, consisting of three assets (TV 30 sec, digital out of home 10 sec and radio ads 30 sec), will be auctioned via Opensea.io.

Magic Breakfast is a charity that provides nutritious breakfasts to around 170,000 vulnerable children each school day.

There are an estimated 2 million children in the UK at risk of starting the day hungry. Since its launch 20 years ago, Magic Breakfast has been providing schoolchildren in disadvantaged areas of the UK with healthy breakfasts to ensure they have the energy and nutrition to make the most of their morning lessons.

A hungry child cannot focus on their learning, which can negatively impact their educational attainment and may, in the long run, affect their professional careers.

Child hunger has reached a crisis point this year, with a growing awareness of the issue facing families throughout the UK. Earlier this year, Magic Breakfast teamed up with footballer and anti-poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford and Macmillan Children’s Books to donate 50,000 books to children in their partner schools to launch The Marcus Rashford Book Club to help reach children who may not have access to books at home.

Funds raised from the sale of the NFTs created by Ekstasy will allow the charity to continue to work towards its mission that no child is too hungry to learn.

Magic Breakfast is a cause close to the heart of Ekstasy’s Founder and CEO, Mike Saraswat. Mike faced food insecurity whilst in his first year of university and found that his learning was impacted due to lack of food.

Mike said: “I relied on one meal a day for several months and would ask for extra fries at the university cafe so that I would not have to buy dinner. I was already extremely hungry due to lack of breakfast; launching this NFT is my way of giving back”. Mike now runs Ekstasy, a successful agency, and wanted to give back by shining a light on this topic using the medium of cutting edge NFT technology.

On the campaign, Mike said, “The dreams of so many young children are being hindered by lack of good meals, especially breakfast, which we know helps children to focus during lessons and make the most of their education.

Magic Breakfast is a fantastic charity, and I am delighted to be helping them raise funds and awareness for their cause using the new-age medium of NFTs. Technology has the potential for good if used with the right intent.”

Emily Wilkie, Head of Fundraising at Magic Breakfast said, “We are so grateful to Ekstasy for drawing attention to the urgent issue of child hunger in the UK. A healthy breakfast can have a transformative effect on a hungry child’s ability to learn and enjoy their mornings at school.

Money raised from the auction will allow Magic Breakfast to reach even more children at risk of morning hunger and ensure that no child in our partner schools is too hungry to learn.”

Magic Breakfast and Ekstasy are inviting bids for this NFT auction through: 

https://opensea.io/collection/worlds-first-nft-advertising-campaign-by-ekstasy.

Food That Goes Further: Cyrenians launch summer appeal

Cyrenians has launched their summer appeal ‘Food That Goes Further’, appealing for regular support to their community food projects to ‘help make sure that no one goes hungry’. 

Cyrenians is a Scottish homelessness charity, tackling the causes and consequences of homelessness. A large part of their work includes their community food projects – including community pantries, offering dignified access to low-cost, high-quality food, and cooking skills classes. 

Joe Gair, Cook School volunteer, said: “No one should have to go hungry. Too often, people struggling to make ends meet are told what to eat, when, and who with – often, that means people just go without. This isn’t good enough. 

“Food insecurity comes as a result of living in poverty, and having to make impossible choices, like paying for food or paying your rent. It isolates you from the wider community and has a real impact on your mental and physical wellbeing.  

“At our Good Food projects, anyone can come, which makes getting food as well as support so much easier. From money issues to housing, once you’ve built up a relationship with someone, it’s much easier to talk about it and find out how to get help.”  

Cyrenians’ food projects include a diverse range of social enterprises – from Cyrenians Farm in Kirknewton, and Arnotdale House and Café in Falkirk, to their Community Cook School and Fareshare depot in Leith. Providing value to local communities, and creating employment and training opportunities, the profits raised from these projects are then reinvested back into Cyrenians’ work tackling homelessness. 

Sue O’Neill-Berest, Food Education Manager, said: “Communities cannot be held responsible for food insecurity in Scotland, but community food projects are well-placed to respond to crises, and to promote dignity at a local level.

That’s why our food projects make sure that people can access low-cost, high quality food, and with dignity: open to all, and where people are able to choose what they eat, and when.”

Ewan Aitken CEO, said: “At Cyrenians, we know that the social connections that are creating around making and sharing meals can be just as important as the meals themselves. Building strong community relationships and making sure people can get support they need way before they reach crisis point is a key part of our work tackling homelessness. 

“In addition to that, we’re creating employment and job opportunities for communities, and helping to increase the availability of good food to local communities – working with local businesses and producers to create sustainable food networks that are good for people and good for the planet. 

“Our community food projects are needed more than ever. We need to build on these projects – but we can’t do that alone. 

“If you can, please support our #FoodThatGoesFurther appeal and help make sure that no one goes hungry” 

www.cyrenians.scot/foodthatgoesfurther 

Vulnerable people risk going hungry without urgent government action, warns Which?

Which? is calling for urgent action from the UK government and the devolved administrations after hearing reports from more than a thousand people, including those who are at very high-risk or vulnerable and unable to access the food and basic supplies they desperately need amid the coronavirus pandemic.

While measures have been introduced by governments and supermarkets that are designed to help high-risk and vulnerable people, more than six weeks into lockdown the consumer champion continues to hear from people who are struggling to book supermarket delivery slots, are unable to find the help they need locally and in some cases find themselves forced to risk their health to get supplies.

Millions of individuals have been identified by the governments around the UK as extremely vulnerable and in the very high-risk group, but Which? is hearing that some are missing out on the provision they need through no fault of their own.

Others who are vulnerable, or have been asked to ‘self-isolate’ because they are elderly, pregnant or suffer from medical conditions that could cause severe illness if they were to contract Covid-19, are even more likely to have fallen through the cracks.

Which? found a range of issues among the huge number of reports received. As well as very high-risk people who are shielding and struggling to get deliveries or being forced to visit stores despite being advised to stay at home, others have been unable to navigate complex, confusing and often overwhelmed government and supermarket helplines or other support systems.

Some of these vulnerable customers told Which? that they are having to stay up into the early hours of the morning in an attempt to book supermarket delivery slots, while others are left relying on the kindness of neighbours.

Gillian Medlar and her husband are both on the very high-risk or extremely vulnerable list as she has Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and he has lymphoma.

They haven’t been able to get a supermarket delivery slot, and described them as “gold dust”. They’ve been forced to rely on a neighbour, but want to limit how much they are asking of her.

The problem also affects carers, who cannot leave the house but are not in the high-risk category themselves so also have to rely on getting delivery slots.

Melvin, whose son is in the highest risk category, has received letters advising him to shield for three months. The whole household is shielding but they have not been recognised as extremely vulnerable by the supermarkets’ websites as the online accounts are in Melvin’s name and not his son’s.

Carers of vulnerable people can go out for groceries but this may not always be possible if they also need to self-isolate themselves.

Geoff Wilson, 86, described feeling like he and the 96-year-old lady he is a full time carer for were “the forgotten ones”. They aren’t eligible to register as extremely vulnerable, and have been unable to get a home delivery from anywhere.

Supermarkets say they have been overwhelmed by demand. While many have gone to great lengths to increase their capacity, without a more coordinated effort from government and better access to other forms of provision in local areas, deliveries will continue to fall short of what’s needed to make sure that every vulnerable person is able to access food and basic supplies without leaving their home.

We have also heard from people who are vulnerable and need help, regardless of their Covid-19 risk. One disabled and housebound individual told Which? she felt she had “completely fallen off the radar for pretty much all of the supposed support measures. Unable to get the delivery slots she relied on, she described being ‘trapped with no deliveries for three of the past four weeks”.

Governments in England, Scotland and Wales have provided the supermarkets with edited lists of those that fall in the extremely vulnerable category and have requested support with getting food. Part of this support is the offer of priority delivery slots by supermarkets.

Supermarkets began by cross-referencing the lists received against existing registered customers and offering priority delivery slots to them. Some supermarkets have also helped people on the government list who aren’t existing customers .

However, Which? has also heard from extremely vulnerable people who despite receiving a letter from the government letting them know that they qualify for priority supermarket delivery slots, have then been left in the dark for weeks on end about what they need to do.

There have been issues identifying the most vulnerable people and in some cases they have to identify themselves but there has been a lack of clarity and no central point of contact in order to find the best solution for each individual or area – which may not always be supermarket delivery but instead community based solutions from either smaller independent shops or volunteers.

Amanda Kontzle told Which? that her father is over 70 and having stem cell cancer treatment. He has been contacted by the government to reassure him that he is on the list of very high-risk people, but has been unable to get a delivery slot with any supermarket despite registering as a customer.

Amanda said: “I’m absolutely disgusted at how he has been treated during this crisis so far.”

Which? believes that the UK’s four governments must step up efforts to ensure that no one who is vulnerable has fallen through the cracks and is struggling to access basic supplies.

Better coordination between governments, local authorities, the food industry and local charities is also urgently needed for those who are vulnerable but not in the highest risk group, so that they understand how to easily access the support they need, whether that is through their local supermarket or community based provision.

Many of the people who have contacted Which? say they feel have been let down by the supermarkets because they are unable to get delivery slots – but there are limits to supermarkets’ ability to address some of the issues experienced by vulnerable consumers without additional government support.

The governments across the UK must now urgently coordinate their approach to make sure that no vulnerable person has to navigate confusing, long-winded and complicated systems in order to access food during the pandemic lockdown.

Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection and Food Policy at Which?, said: “Based on the huge number of reports we’re seeing from vulnerable people struggling to get access to basic food and supplies, it’s clear that the current system is not working for those who need it the most.

“Without easily accessible and clearer information for these people, and stronger coordination between the UK’s central and devolved governments, the food industry, local authorities and local charities, there is a risk that many will go hungry during this pandemic.”

State of Hunger: new report reveals desperate struggle to survive

Commissioned by the Trussell Trust and conducted by Heriot-Watt University, State of Hunger 2019 is the most authoritative piece of independent research into hunger in the UK to date. It reveals the average weekly income of people at food banks is only £50 after paying rent, and almost one in five have no money coming in at all in the month before being referred for emergency food.

  • 94% of people at food banks are destitute
  • Almost three-quarters of people at food banks live in households affected by ill-health or disability
  • 22% of people at food banks are single parents – compared to 5% in the UK population
  • More than three-quarters of people referred to food banks were in arrears

The first annual report of a three-year long research project, it shows definitively for the first time the three drivers hitting people simultaneously and leaving no protection from hunger and poverty. These drivers are problems with the benefits system, ill health and challenging life experiences, and a lack of local support.

The most common source of income for people at food banks is the benefits system. Problems with benefits are widespread, affecting two-thirds of people at food banks in the last year. Key benefits problems highlighted by the research are: a reduction in the value of benefit payments, being turned down for disability benefits, being sanctioned, and delays in payments like the five week wait for Universal Credit.

Statistical modelling shows the positive impact an increase in the value of benefits could have, estimating that a £1 increase in the weekly value of main benefits could lead to 84 fewer food parcels a year in a typical local authority.

The majority of people referred to food banks also experienced a challenging life event, such as an eviction or household breakdown, in the year prior to using the food bank. Such events may increase living costs and make it harder to maintain paid work or to successfully claim benefits.

Particular groups of people are more likely to need a food bank. One risk factor is being a single mother – 22% of people at food banks are single parents, the majority of which are women.

Almost three-quarters of people at food banks have a health issue, or live with someone who does. More than half of people at food banks live in households affected by a mental health problem, with anxiety and depression the most common.

A quarter of people live in households where someone has a long-term physical condition; one in six has a physical disability; and one in 10 has a learning disability, or live with someone who does. Ill health often increases living costs and may be a barrier to doing paid work.

Amanda explained to researchers that £130 of her £138 fortnightly benefit payment for a health condition goes to paying arrears, leaving her with only £8:

“If I don’t pay my bills, then I’ll get the house taken off me. After paying arrears, I’ve got £8 a fortnight and that’s to pay for gas, electric, water. So it’s just impossible, it really is. I go to bed at night wishing I never wake up in the morning.”

The study also found that the vast majority of people at food banks have either exhausted support from family or friends, were socially isolated, or had family and friends who were not in a financial position to help.

Chief Executive Emma Revie said: “People are being locked into extreme poverty and pushed to the doors of food banks. Hunger in the UK isn’t about food – it’s about people not having enough money. People are trying to get by on £50 a week and that’s just not enough for the essentials, let alone a decent standard of living.

“Any of us could be hit by a health issue or job loss – the difference is what happens when that hits. We created a benefits system because we’re a country that believes in making sure financial support is there for each other if it’s needed. The question that naturally arises, then, is why the incomes of people at food banks are so low, despite being supported by that benefits system?

“Many of us are being left without enough money to cover the most basic costs. We cannot let this continue in our country. This can change – our benefits system could be the key to unlocking people from poverty if our government steps up and makes the changes needed. How we treat each other when life is hard speaks volumes about us as a nation. We can do better than this.”

The Trussell Trust is calling for three key changes as a priority to protect people from hunger:

  1. As an urgent priority, end the five week wait for Universal Credit
  2. Benefit payments must cover the true cost of living
  3. Funding for councils to provide local crisis support should be ring-fenced and increased

State-of-Hunger-Report-November2019-Digital

“A state of denial”: UN Human Rights expert condemns UK Government

‘Poverty is a political choice. Austerity could easily have spared the poor, if the political will had existed to do so’ – Professor Philip Alston Continue reading “A state of denial”: UN Human Rights expert condemns UK Government

Wake up call: one family in five struggle to feed their children

foodbank2One in five UK families can’t afford to feed their children, according to new research published jointly by Fareshare, the Trussell Trust and Tescos.

The research highlights the biggest ever increase in UK foodbank use and a 170% rise in numbers turning to foodbanks in the last twelve months. The Tressell Trust found that 100,000 more people than anticpated were given emergency food, and the charity says this must be a ‘wake-up call to the nation’.

Trussell Trust foodbanks have seen the biggest rise in numbers given emergency food since the charity began in 2000. Almost 350,000 people have received at least three days emergency food from Trussell Trust foodbanks during the last 12 months, nearly 100,000 more than anticipated and close to triple the number helped in 2011-12.

Rising cost of living, static incomes, changes to benefits, underemployment and unemployment have meant increasing numbers of people in the UK have hit a crisis that forces them to go hungry. This dramatic rise in foodbank usage predates April’s welfare reforms, which could see numbers increase further in 2013-14.

346,992 people received a minimum of three days emergency food from Trussell Trust foodbanks in 2012-13, compared to 128,697 in 2011-12 and up from 26,000 in 2008-09. Of those helped in 2012-13, 126,889 (36.6 percent) were children.

The Trussell Trust has seen a 76% increase in the number of foodbanks launched since April 2012 but has seen a 170% increase in numbers of people given emergency food. Well- established foodbanks that have been running for several years are showing significant rises in numbers helped during the last 12 months. Christian charity The Trussell Trust is launching three new foodbanks every week to help meet demand and has launched 345 UK foodbanks in partnership with churches and communities to date.

Trussell Trust Executive Chairman Chris Mould said: ‘The sheer volume of people who are turning to foodbanks because they can’t afford food is a wake-up call to the nation that we cannot ignore the hunger on our doorstep. Politicians across the political spectrum urgently need to recognise the real extent of UK food poverty and create fresh policies that better address its underlying causes. This is more important than ever as the impact of the biggest reforms to the welfare state since it began start to take effect. Since April 1st we have already seen increasing numbers of people in crisis being sent to foodbanks with nowhere else to go.’

He continued: ‘Last year The Trussell Trust estimated that our foodbanks would help 250,000 people in 2012-13, we’ve helped 100,000 more than that. 2012-13 was much tougher for people than many anticipated. Incomes are being squeezed to breaking point. We’re seeing people from all kinds of backgrounds turning to foodbanks: working people coming in on their lunch- breaks, mums who are going hungry to feed their children, people whose benefits have been delayed and people who are struggling to find enough work. It’s shocking that people are going hungry in 21st century Britain.’

Only four per cent of people turned to foodbanks due to homelessness; 30% were referred due to benefit delay; 18% low income and 15% benefit changes (up from 11% in 2011-12). Other reasons included domestic violence, sickness, refused crisis loans, debt and unemployment. The majority of people turning to foodbanks were working age families.

Over 15,000 frontline care professionals such as doctors, social workers, schools liaison officers and Jobcentre Plus referred their clients to foodbanks in 2012-13. Foodbanks are community driven with an estimated 30,000 volunteers giving their time across the UK. Over 3,400 tonnes of food was donated by the public in 2012-13.

Chris Mould added: ‘Whilst it’s deeply concerning that so many people are facing hunger in the UK, the evident willingness of the public to help their neighbours through foodbanks has prevented thousands of crises escalating into disaster. We regularly hear people say that ‘the foodbank saved my life’ and it’s local communities that make that possible.’

ChildPovertyResponding to these statistics, Citizens Advice Scotland’s Chief Executive Margaret Lynch said: “Sadly these figures won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has worked in a Scottish CAB. Right across the country, our advisers are having to deal every day with people who are struggling to make ends meet, and increasing numbers whose situation is so bad that they and their families are living in real poverty.

“In just the last three months Scottish CAB advisers saw nearly 300 people whose situation was so bad that they had to be referred to a food-bank or other form of emergency support. That means they literally could not afford to feed themselves that day, nevermind pay the rent or heating bills. It is no longer unusual for a CAB to deal with such a case.

“It’s very important to understand that the recession is not the only reason for this. The UK government’s welfare reforms have also had a devastating impact on many people throughout Scotland – and those who have suffered most are those who were on the lowest incomes to begin with. These include sick and disabled people as well as families with young children.

“Such people were hit hard by the recession, and many of them have then seen their benefits cut as well. Figures like those published today are the inevitable result. Many people in our society are now living in poverty, and are finding they can’t rely on the welfare safety net that is supposed to support them.”