People turning to foodbanks as living costs rise

More than 62,000 people across Yorkshire turned to foodbanks to feed themselves and their families last year, with nearly 25,000 of them being children.

The highest numbers in crisis turned to donation centres in Leeds, figures from the Trussell Trust show, with facilities in seemingly affluent areas such as Harrogate and York still helping thousands of people.

Now, research has shown that half of people using foodbanks said their incomes were “unsteady” from week to week, with four out of five people admitting they skipped meals and went without food as they could not afford to feed themselves.

“This pioneering research confirms to us what those volunteers have been telling us,” said David McAuley, the chief executive of the Trussell Trust. “Every day they are meeting people trying to cope with low, insecure incomes and rising prices that mean even the smallest unexpected expense can leave them destitute and hungry, be that an unexpected bill, bereavement or the loss of income caused by benefit delay.

“Particularly concerning are the very high numbers of disabled people or people with mental health problems needing foodbanks. These findings reaffirm how vital the work of foodbanks and generosity of donors is, but are also a clear challenge to the new Government to do more to stop people ending up in crisis in the first place.”

The research, detailing for the first time the sheer scale of families in crisis, found that half households questioned said they had been hit by a recent “income shock” such as increases in housing or food costs. Half said they could not afford heating or toiletries. A similar number of households included a disabled person.

Many of those referred to one of the trust’s 420 foodbanks were waiting for a benefit payment.

Dr Rachel Loopstra, an associate member of the Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, who was lead author of the report, said it were felt worse by those with extremely low incomes and where meeting basic needs is an ongoing struggle.

“Our survey data shows how people using foodbanks are unable to ensure they always have enough food to eat because their incomes are too low and too insecure.”

A Government spokesman said: “We’re helping millions of households meet the everyday cost of living and keep more of what they earn while also spending over £90bn a year in extra support for those who need it.

“Employment is the best route out of poverty and, with record numbers of people - including disabled people - now in work, we’ve made great progress.

“But we want to go even further to help ordinary families.”