New figures released by The Lambeth Foodbank Partnership today reveal that 21,946 emergency food parcels were provided to local people who couldn’t afford the essentials between April 2021 and March 2022 – 8016 of these went to children. This number of parcels is a 15% increase on 2019-20.
The Lambeth Foodbank Partnership believes this increase in people needed support is linked to the increasing cost of living and the impact of £20 a week being cut from Universal Credit payments during the last year.
Maureen and Philip have only used the Foodbank once but fear they will need to use the service again soon:
‘We have always budgeted really well,” said Philip. “I cannot work due to my health condition and my wife only works two days a week. Since the energy price rise, we have been really struggling and don’t know which bills to prioritise. We are on the breadline now and must make difficult choices each month. We are proud and don’t want to use the foodbank but we may have no choice.”
Part of the national Trussell Trust network, the Lambeth Foodbank Partnership has experienced its busiest winter outside of the height of the pandemic in 2020. Food banks in the Trussell Trust network provided more than 2.1 million parcels to people on the lowest incomes across the UK from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
This is a 14% increase on pre-pandemic figures in 2019-20 – more and more people across the country are unable to afford the essentials. We all need to eat, stay warm, dry and clean.
The need for food banks in the Trussell Trust network has accelerated over the past six months, and food bank managers are warning of a growing crisis following the cut to Universal Credit in October 2021, as the cost of living continues to soar:
• July – September 2021 saw a 10% increase in comparison to the same period in 2019
• October – December 2021 saw a 17% increase in comparison to the same period in 2019
• January – February 2022 saw a 22% increase in comparison to the same period in 2020
The Lambeth Foodbank Partnership team will always do all they can to help people in the community – but it cannot, and should not, be needed on this enormous scale. Elizabeth Maytom, Norwood and Brixton Foodbank Project Lead explains:
“There’ll always be a role for strong community groups looking out for their neighbours, and we’re so grateful for the generous support of our volunteers and to local people who have donated to the food bank. Together, you’ve made sure that local people who can’t afford the essentials don’t face hunger.
The support we see across the community for people on the lowest incomes is incredible. But it shouldn’t be needed. We should all be free from hunger. No one should be pushed deeper into poverty without enough money for the things we all need. It’s not right that anyone in Lambeth needs our food bank in the first place – everyone should be able to afford the essentials.
At the moment the situation is only set to get worse, as this is just the start of the cost-of-living crisis. But we know what’s pushing people to need food banks like ours, so we know what needs to be done. People cannot afford to wait any longer for support – UK, national and local governments at all levels must use their powers and take urgent action now to strengthen our social security system so it keeps up with the true cost of living.”
The Norwood and Brixton Foodbank couldn’t operate without its generous supporters. Provide a lifeline to those that need it most, find out how you can donate food, money or your time.