Disadvantaged families increasingly turning to foodbanks, charity warns

Emergency food supplies handed out through The Trussell Trust's foodbank network increased by 13 per cent between the year ending March 2018 and the previous 12 months.

This is double the increase over the previous year, when foodbank use was up 6.6 per cent.

Of the 1,332,952 parcels distributed between April 2017 and March 2018, 484,026 went directly to children.

The charity said families with children living, who rely on benefits, and disabled people are particularly at risk of needing assistance, largely due to delays in Universal Credit payments.

Benefit delays were cited as a main reason in 24 per cent of foodbank referrals and changes to the benefits system mentioned as a key factor in 18 per cent of cases.

The charity also surveyed 284 foodbank recipients on Universal Credit, 148 of which have dependent children.

Among these, 20 per cent had waited between seven and 12 weeks for their first payment, while eight per cent had waited 13 weeks or more.

"Universal Credit is currently unable to provide a well-functioning service for some of the people in our society most in need of support, leading to an increased burden on the third sector," states the charity's survey report, called Left Behind: Is Universal Credit Truly Universal?.

"Poor administration, the wait for the first payment, and repayments for loans and debts are driving some people to severe financial need. This is particularly acute for families with dependent children and disabled people."

The charity is calling for an inquiry into the administration of Universal Credit. It also wants to see benefit levels increased in line with inflation to ensure payments keep pace with the cost of living, particularly for families with children.

"As a nation we expect no one should be left hungry or destitute - illness, disability, family breakdown or the loss of a job could happen to any of us, and we owe it to each other to make sure sufficient financial support is in place when we need it most," said Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie.

"It's hard to break free from hunger if there isn't enough money coming in to cover the rising cost of absolute essentials like food and housing. For too many people staying above water is a daily struggle. It's completely unacceptable that anyone is forced to turn to a foodbank as a result.

"Universal Credit is the future of our benefits system. It's vital we get it right, and ensure levels of payment keep pace with the rising cost of essentials, particularly for groups of people we know are already more likely to need a foodbank - disabled people, people dealing with an illness, families with children and single parents."

Imran Hussain, Action for Children's director of policy and campaigns said that the Trussell Trust's figures suggest that "unacceptable numbers of children are going to school too hungry to learn".

He added: "We know from our services working with families and children that the experience of living in poverty affects each child differently. The one unifying feature is that it has a detrimental impact on a child's life both now and in the future.

"If child poverty figures increase in line with independent projections then we are likely to see many more children relying on food parcels and being left behind at school, more parents struggling to provide a warm and nurturing environment and, ultimately, greater pressure on public services, including local council children's services, when things go wrong."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "The reasons why people use foodbanks are complex, so it's wrong to link a rise to any one cause.

"This research is based on anecdotal evidence from a small, self-selecting sample of less than 0.04 per cent of current Universal Credit claimants, whereas Universal Credit is working for the vast majority who claim it.

"It was also carried out before our significant improvements to Universal Credit came into effect at the Budget."