Essex foodbank says local poverty is around twice as bad as the record national levels revealed today
There's been a 62% increase in food bank users for Southend Foodbank
New figures released today by Southend Foodbank have revealed that 15,000 emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship across Essex in the last year.
Southend Foodbank has seen a 62% increase in the number of emergency food parcels distributed compared to last year. This is compared to Trussell Trust figures released today (April 26) which have seen a 37% increase as a national average.
Cass Francis is the campaigns co-ordinator for Southend foodbank, she said:
"We had a distribution centre open today and a lady came in, and it's her daughter's seventh birthday tomorrow, and she hasn't got anything for her.
"Luckily, we were able to provide her with a McDonald's voucher that had been given to us from a gent on the internet, who ran a campaign called 'Maccies without Malice' which meant we were able to give her some McDonald's vouchers so that she could take her seven-year-old to McDonalds tomorrow, on her birthday, to get her a Happy Meal, and that lady was crying. So, I think that tells you everything you need to know about how this is affecting people in Southend."
Speaking about the rising need for emergency food, Emma Revie, Chief Executive at the Trussell Trust, said:
“These new statistics are extremely concerning and show that an increasing number of people are being left with no option but to turn to charitable, volunteer-run organisations to get by and this is not right. The continued increase in parcel numbers over the last five years indicates that it is ongoing low levels of income and a social security system that isn’t fit for purpose that are forcing more people to need food banks, rather than just the recent cost of living crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rise in the need for foodbanks across the United Kingdom
Director of Policy, Research and Impact at the Trussell Trust Network, Helen Barnard, said a rise in the demand for foodbanks across the UK isn't just a pandemic or cost-of-living related issue.
"We've seen it's more than a one-third increase in a year. But actually, I also think it's important that we look at the longer-term trend, this isn't just a pandemic effect or a cost-of-living effect."
“We looked back over the last five years and the need has been climbing steeply over that time.”
Helen added that 'most people turning to foodbanks had exhausted all other options, such as help from friends and family.'
The Trussell Trust doesn't just offer food, Helen said: “They will try and help people look at the root causes. There will be advisors there so you can get advice on whether you are getting the right benefits, for instance.”
But, people are finding that they still need foodbanks: “What we're finding is, even when people have been helped to get everything they should, the actual amount you're getting in social security doesn't cover the cost of essentials. It's not linked to the real cost of life.”
'Universal credit isn't covering the cost of essentials'
Helen told us that a single person needs £120 per week to cover the cost of essentials, but Universal Credit is only offering £85, resulting in a shortfall of £35.
Asked how The Trussell Trust were tackling this problem, Helen called on the government to put an essentials guarantee into Universal Credit:
“When we think about this number of people who are living in destitution, the effect on people's health, is just appalling. The effect on your mental health, if you are living hand to mouth, if you're lying awake, worrying about debts, if you can't eat properly or stay warm, the effect on your mental health and your physical health is tremendous.
“The NHS is under enormous strain, we are piling pressure on it by allowing people to have to live like this, so it feels as if we are fuelling some of our other big national challenges by not dealing with this fundamental problem.”
A Government spokesperson said: "We are committed to eradicating poverty and we recognise the pressures of the rising cost of living which is why we have uprated benefits by 10.1% as well as making an unprecedented increase to the National Living Wage this month.
"This is on top of changes already made to Universal Credit which mean claimants can keep more of their hard-earned money - a boost worth £1,000 a year on average.
"We are also providing record levels of direct financial support for the most vulnerable - £1,200 last year and a further £1,350 in 2023/24, with over eight million families starting to receive their first £301 Cost of Living instalment from yesterday - while the Household Support Fund is helping people with essential costs."