Salisbury-based foodbank hands out record number of emergency parcels
3 million parcels were given out over the last year, 1 million going to children
Salisbury-based foodbank The Trussell Trust handed out a record three million emergency food parcels across the UK last year, with 18,069 distributed in Wiltshire.
Figures have doubled over the last five years, and Director of policy, research and impact Helen Barnard it is not just a pandemic or cost-of-living related issue.
Helen said: “We've seen it's more than a one third increase in a year that we've seen. But actually, I also think it's important that we look at the longer-term trend, this isn't just a pandemic effect or a cost-of-living effect.
“We looked back over the last five years and the need has been climbing steeply over that time.”
Helen added that most people turning to foodbanks had exhausted all other options, such as help from friends and family, saying: “This is not the kind of life we want anyone to be trapped in.”
The Trussell Trust does just offer food, as Helen explained to us: “They will try and help people look at the root causes. There will be advisors there so you can get advice on whether you are getting the right benefits, for instance.”
But, people are finding that they still need foodbanks: “What we're finding is, even when people have been helped to get everything they should, the actual amount you're getting in Social Security doesn't cover the cost of essentials. It's not linked to the real cost of life.”
Helen told us that a single person needs £120 per week to cover the cost of essentials, but universal credit is only offering £85, resulting in a shortfall of £35. She said that even though people had jobs, it wasn’t enough to get by.
Asked how The Trussell Trust were tackling this problem, Helen called on the government to put essentials guarantee into universal credit, helped by members of the public emailing their MP’s.
Helen added that people not being able to afford essentials is fuelling other national challenges.
“When we think about this number of people who are living in destitution, the effect on people's health, is just appalling. The effect on your mental health, if you are living hand to mouth, if you're lying awake, worrying about debts, if you can't eat properly and stay warm, the effect on your mental health and your physical health is tremendous.
“The NHS is under enormous strain, we are piling pressure on it by allowing people to have to live like this, so it feels as if we are fuelling some of our other big national challenges by not dealing with this fundamental problem.”
Support to The Trussell Trust’s call on the government here.