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| Record number of people relying on food donations | Record number of people relying on food donations |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Food parcels are typically designed to give someone three days' worth of food | Food parcels are typically designed to give someone three days' worth of food |
| More food parcels than ever before were handed out in the past year by the UK's largest food-bank provider. | More food parcels than ever before were handed out in the past year by the UK's largest food-bank provider. |
| The Trussell Trust said almost three million had been distributed - 37% more than the previous year - with 1.1 million of them provided for children. | The Trussell Trust said almost three million had been distributed - 37% more than the previous year - with 1.1 million of them provided for children. |
| And in December it gave out a food parcel every eight seconds, on average. | And in December it gave out a food parcel every eight seconds, on average. |
| The Department for Work and Pensions said it was giving vulnerable families "record levels of direct financial support". | The Department for Work and Pensions said it was giving vulnerable families "record levels of direct financial support". |
| Food banks used by 3% of UK families | Food banks used by 3% of UK families |
| 'I tell my kids I'll buy it tomorrow - and hope they forget' | 'I tell my kids I'll buy it tomorrow - and hope they forget' |
| Food banks warn of struggle to keep up with demand | Food banks warn of struggle to keep up with demand |
| Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said: "It's the first time that we've distributed over one million parcels for children - an awful first to have. | Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said: "It's the first time that we've distributed over one million parcels for children - an awful first to have. |
| "The level of need is even higher than we saw during the first year of the pandemic, which we all thought would be a record once-in-a-lifetime high." | "The level of need is even higher than we saw during the first year of the pandemic, which we all thought would be a record once-in-a-lifetime high." |
| The trust's annual report says: | The trust's annual report says: |
| more than three-quarters of a million people who received help had never before used one of its food banks | more than three-quarters of a million people who received help had never before used one of its food banks |
| one in five people referred to a food bank was in a household where someone had a job | one in five people referred to a food bank was in a household where someone had a job |
| The trust provided emergency food and support from almost 1,650 centres, last year, with demand increasing in all areas of the UK but especially: | The trust provided emergency food and support from almost 1,650 centres, last year, with demand increasing in all areas of the UK but especially: |
| north-east and east England | north-east and east England |
| south-west England | south-west England |
| Wales | Wales |
| In Cardiff, Claire Hillard, picking up a food parcel for the first time in about a year, said: "I've got nothing in my fridge, my freezer - they're all empty. Even my tinned stuff has gone." | In Cardiff, Claire Hillard, picking up a food parcel for the first time in about a year, said: "I've got nothing in my fridge, my freezer - they're all empty. Even my tinned stuff has gone." |
| Access to the food bank has become vital for Claire Hillard | Access to the food bank has become vital for Claire Hillard |
| She had sometimes been too stubborn to seek help, Ms Hillard said, but "it's just got so bad now". | She had sometimes been too stubborn to seek help, Ms Hillard said, but "it's just got so bad now". |
| "My bills are literally taking up all my money and I'm left with really nothing to buy food," she said. | "My bills are literally taking up all my money and I'm left with really nothing to buy food," she said. |
| And with her benefit payment not due for several days, she would be unable to feed her children. | And with her benefit payment not due for several days, she would be unable to feed her children. |
| "This is what's happening now each month - come the last week and I've just got nothing," Ms Hillard said. | "This is what's happening now each month - come the last week and I've just got nothing," Ms Hillard said. |
| "Every time I go shopping, my bills just keep going up - and I feel I can't feed my two boys." | "Every time I go shopping, my bills just keep going up - and I feel I can't feed my two boys." |
| 'Eradicating poverty' | 'Eradicating poverty' |
| Rising food and energy costs in particular have seen many households struggling over the past year - but neither the pandemic nor recent cost-of-living pressures could explain the rising demand over the past five years, Ms Revie said. | Rising food and energy costs in particular have seen many households struggling over the past year - but neither the pandemic nor recent cost-of-living pressures could explain the rising demand over the past five years, Ms Revie said. |
| "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," she said. | "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," she said. |
| "Food banks were set up to provide short-term support to people in an emergency - they are not a lasting solution to hunger and poverty. | "Food banks were set up to provide short-term support to people in an emergency - they are not a lasting solution to hunger and poverty. |
| "For too long people have been going without because social-security payments do not reflect life's essential costs - and people are being pushed deeper into hardship as a result." | "For too long people have been going without because social-security payments do not reflect life's essential costs - and people are being pushed deeper into hardship as a result." |
| The charity is calling for the basic level of universal credit to be increased so it always covers "essential costs". | The charity is calling for the basic level of universal credit to be increased so it always covers "essential costs". |
| The Department for Work and Pensions 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. | The Department for Work and Pensions 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. |
| "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." | "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." |
| Data visualisation by Jana Tauschinski and Rob England | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Poverty | Poverty |
| Food banks | Food banks |
| Cost of living | Cost of living |