The report into food poverty is based on findings from a survey of 118 Barnardo’s support services across the UK carried out in November. Of these, 94 per cent said that food poverty was an issue for families and young people they work with, 90 per cent had referred young people and families to food banks over the past year, and almost all said the number of people they were referring had either remained high or increased.
Vulnerable young people, such as care leavers and teenage parents, are finding it particularly hard to find the money for food, the report states.
Of the 14 Barnardo’s leaving care services that responded to the survey, all reported that the young people they worked with are struggling with food poverty, and the majority of services (86 per cent) referred young people to food banks when they got into difficulty.
The report says the reason care leavers are struggling is complex. It states: “Reasons include a lack of affordable accommodation and, for some young people, making poor financial decisions – particularly when they are learning to live independently. Our services report that when budgets are tight they see young people cutting back on food and struggling to manage a healthy diet.”
Almost half of the services that responded provide food directly to families and young people – one leaving care service will be giving out parcels and putting on Christmas dinners for the young people using the service.
The charity also provides a number of services for teenage mothers, many of whom have come from chaotic living arrangements. Increasingly, it says that much of its initial work with these young people is to ensure that they have sufficient food to maintain a healthy diet.
Just over half (56 per cent) of services surveyed are also involved in issuing food bank vouchers directly.
The report blames the increase in fuel poverty on a combination of rising living costs, cuts in state benefits, the scrapping of emergency loans for families and young people in financial crisis, and delays in benefit payments being made.
