More than 5,100 food parcels given out EVERY DAY in past six months
Trussell Trust says food bank use 'well above' what it was before pandemic
Last updated 24th Nov 2021
The Trussell Trust handed out 935,749 emergency food parcels over the six months to October 2021, more than a third of which went to children.
On average this equates to more than 5,100 for people facing crisis across the UK every day and at least three parcels every minute.
The Salisbury charity says families with children have been hit hardest with almost 2,000 parcels provided for children every day by food banks in its network.
This is up 11% increase from the same period in 2019, as need for emergency food remains well above pre-pandemic levels.
And it represents a rise of almost three-quarters (74%) from 2016.
The Trussell Trust says it expects the need for support to rise over the winter as poorer families struggle with rising fuel costs, inflation and the fallout of the ÂŁ20 per week cut from Universal Credit that hit this autumn.
The number of parcels distributed by food banks is expected to rise to more than 7,000 a day in December, it warns.
The figures do not include the number of people helped by thousands of other groups providing food aid such as community organisations and independent food banks.
Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said:
“Everyone in the UK should be able to afford the essentials - to buy their own food and heat their homes. Yet food banks in our network continue to see more and more people facing destitution with an increase in food parcels going to children. This is not right.
“Our food bank managers expect need to grow further still, saying they will need to provide more than 7,000 food parcels a day during December, as many families are faced with an even tougher winter ahead. This must stop."
“The answer must be for us to have the stability of a strong enough social security system to protect any one of us when we need it. We need government at all levels to take action and are asking the public to help fight hunger this winter and join the campaign to fight for a future without the need for food banks.”
Jonathan Reynolds, Labour's Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said:
"Thousands of food parcels given out every day to kids is frankly a disgrace - Britain deserves better than this.
"Conservative complacency and chaos has created a cost of living crisis with tax hikes, cuts to Universal Credit and soaring bills hammering families this winter.
"Labour would tackle the cost of living crisis through a VAT cut on energy bills to ease the burden on families this winter."
The Government said Universal Credit claimants will benefit from a newly reduced taper rate and increased work allowance, while a Household Support Fund will help vulnerable families in England afford essentials over the coming months.
A Government spokesman said:
"We are committed to supporting people on low incomes and the changes we have made to Universal Credit will see nearly two million of the lowest paid better off by around ÂŁ1,000 a year.
"The most vulnerable, including those who can't work, can get additional help with essential costs through our new ÂŁ500 million support fund."