Benefit delays and low-incomes responsible for record numbers using food banks

According to the Trussell Trust, which operates the UK’s biggest network of food banks, 1, 084,604 people, including 396,997 children, received three days worth of emergency food from the charity’s network of over 400 foodbanks in 2014/15. This is an increase of 19 per cent on the number of people (913, 138) who visited its food banks during the previous financial year.

The total number of food banks launched also rose by five per cent in the last year.
While delays or changes to benefits still remain the largest driver of food bank use, there has been an increase in numbers being referred due to low-income, from 20 per cent in 2013/14 to 22 per cent in 2014/15. Food bank managers report that these users are struggling with insecure work, low wages and high living costs.

Referrals to foodbanks due to sickness, homelessness, delayed wages and unemployment over the last year also increased.

One food bank user, a qualified teacher and mother of two, said, ‘I have an 18-month-old son and an eight-year-old stepson. I work part-time as a teacher and my husband has an insecure agency contract. There are times when he doesn’t get enough hours of work, and we really struggle to afford food and pay the bills. The food bank meant we could put food on the table.’

Adrian Curtis, Trussell Trust’s food bank director, said, ‘Despite welcome signs of economic recovery, hunger continues to affect significant numbers of men, women and children in the UK today. It’s difficult to be sure of the full extent of the full problem as Trussell Trust figures don’t include people who are helped by other food charities or those who feel too ashamed to seek help.’

Carmel McConnell, chief executive of Magic Breakfast, which delivers free nutritious breakfasts to schools with pupils eligible for free school meals, said, ‘This data is worrying. Magic Breakfast has seen an increase in the number of hunger-hit schools applying for urgent food deliveries, our waiting list now stands at 270 schools, which is an all time high. When children start their school day hungry, they cannot concentrate and risk missing the most important lesson of the day.'

Labour claims it is the only party to have pledged to tackle the number of people relying on food banks. However, the Conservatives have argued that their economic plan is the best way to help families.

Last month, Labour set out a five-point plan for tackling food bank dependency. This includes scrapping the Bedroom Tax, raising the national minimum wage and abolishing Job Centre benefit sanction targets.

Commenting on the report the SNP said the rise of foodbanks was 'utterly shameful' and that it would work to tackle child poverty and food bank use.