Nearly 5,000 food parcels handed out each day as food bank use surges to record high

Demand for food banks has surged to a record high across the UK with the latest figures showing that almost 5,000 food parcels are handed out each day, of which more than a third go to children.

Data released by the Trussell Trust, Britain’s largest food bank provider, shows more than 820,000 emergency food parcels were given out between April and September 2019, making it the busiest half-year period for food banks in the charity’s network since it opened.

Over the six-month period, 823,145 three-day emergency food parcels were given to people in crisis in the UK, marking a 23 per cent increase on the same period in 2018 – the sharpest rate of increase the charity has seen since 2013-14. A total of 301,653 of these went to children.

Ahead of the General Election, the Trussell Trust called on politicians of all parties to pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for basic goods.

It said one of the key issues people at food banks faced was the five-week wait for a first universal credit payment, with the majority (65 per cent) of referrals made between April and September 2019 were due to a delay in benefits being paid in the UK were linked to the new benefit system.

The findings come after separate research from the charity revealed food bank users have on average just £7.10 a day to live on, which is “drastically lower” than the official relative poverty threshold.

It also suggested that people were being forced to appeal for food parcels for three main reasons: problems with the benefits system; ill health and challenging life experiences; and a lack of local support.

The Trussell Trust’s chief executive Emma Revie urged that all political parties must pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for the basics.

“Our benefits system is supposed to protect us all from being swept into poverty, but currently thousands of women, men and children are not receiving sufficient protection from destitution,” she added.

“This is not right. But we know this situation can be fixed - our benefits system could be the key to unlocking people from poverty.”

She called on the next government to start working towards a future where no one needs a food bank by ending the five-week wait for universal credit; ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living; and investing in local emergency support for people in crisis.

“Together, these three changes will put money back into the pockets of people who most need our support. It’s in our power as a country to end the need for food banks. This can change,” Ms Revie added.

When asked by The Independent for their response to the latest figures, the Conservative Party failed to respond.

Margaret Greenwood, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, said Labour would scrap universal credit, halve food bank usage within their first year in office and end it within three years.

She added: “It should be a source of shame for this government that food bank use has risen so sharply yet again. These figures show clearly how harsh, punitive Conservative policies like the five week wait in universal credit are pushing people to the point of destitution.

“When universal credit payments finally arrive they may not even cover the most basic living costs, leaving parents unable to feed their children.”

Liberal Democrat Tim Farron said that if in power his party would “bring in a new legal right to food, tackle poverty and build a brighter future by creating the circumstances in which food banks are no longer required”.

“With financial vulnerability the leading cause of food insecurity, the Conservative’s brutal cuts to universal credit since 2015 and their senseless two-child limit, the lives of millions have worsened under the Conservatives,” he added.