Norwich foodbank helping increasing numbers tackle soaring energy bills
The charity currently aren't struggling with food supplies but fear this could change as the cost of the living crisis continues to bite
Norwich Foodbank has told us that more people are coming to them asking for help to tackle debt that they've accumulated due to rising energy bills.
The charity currently isn't struggling with food supplies but fear the continued rising cost of living could change this. They say they'll review the situation again in June.
The organisation is calling on local people to write to local decision-makers- urging them to tackle the cost of living crisis more strongly.
"This isn't right that local people are going hungry, what can we do about it?"
Hannah Worsley is their project manager, she told us that meaningful change can only come from the top: "We want to see a change at policy level which includes local authorities but also the nationally as well.
"Have those conversations at county and city-wide levels and say to them 'this isn't right that local people are going hungry, what can we do about it and what can you do in your position of power?
"We haven't yet seen a slump in donations, but we think that might come because if people who are donating at the moment, money, food, whatever- the first thing they will have to draw back on is donations.
"We feel that that's coming, so we do need to prepare for the energy bank and food bank side of things, so we can continue to help people".
"Some of the people I've been speaking to today have got no gas or electricity at all"
Ms Worsely went onto say that things are tough and only likely to get worse in the next few months: "Today alone I think I've done five payments for five different households. Before we were topping them up because things were ticking along but difficult.
"But some of the people I've been speaking to today have got no gas or electricity at all, they have used up even their emergency credit.
"So, you make a payment and half of that has gone on a debt.
"As the year goes on and we come up again to winter, maybe September, October onwards, we are concerned with news that the price cap will be reviewed again.
"We are concerned that the people struggling will be even worse off and there will be a whole raft of new people who are then struggling.
"So, we have taken the decision to continue supporting our energy bank with donations, people have been extremely kind there."
Chancellor's Statement
It all comes as Rishi Sunak is due to make an announcement today with measures expected to be targeted towards helping those struggling most with the cost of living crisis.
The Chancellor could announce things like a windfall tax on oil and energy companies, as well as a wider support package to tackle soaring bills.
Critics of the Prime Minister thin it's an attempt to distract from Sue Gray's damning 'partygate' report which was released yesterday.