The Trussell Trust says not only was December the busiest month for foodbanks last year, but year on year December figures are rapidly increasing, as it prepares for its busiest Christmas yet
New data released today shows December was the busiest month for foodbanks last year. During December 2017, The Trussell Trust’s network provided 159,388 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis; 65,622 of these went to children. This is a 49% increase on the monthly average for the 2017-18 financial year.
The figures reveal the year on year need for foodbanks in December is increasing steeply – the number of food supplies given to people mark a 10% rise from December 2016 when 144,677 were given out.
The charity expects a further rise this year, with increasing levels of foodbank use earlier in the year setting this December up to be the busiest month for foodbanks recorded. As demand increases in the run up to Christmas, The Trussell Trust is asking supporters to donate as early as possible in December to help alleviate pressure from volunteers during its busiest time of the year.
The Trussell Trust says colder weather heaps pressure onto people already in crisis during the winter, increasingly families unable to cover the basic costs of living such as heating bills, food and other essentials.
The inability of benefit levels to cover essential living costs and issues with payments remain the most common reasons for referral to a foodbank. It adds that the minimum five week wait for a first Universal Credit payment, experienced by those moving onto the new benefits system, has only made matters worse. The Trussell Trust’s chief executive Emma Revie said:
“Christmas is supposed to be a time for joy but what we’re seeing is the festive period becoming increasingly stressful for more and more people across the country. Our benefits system is supposed protect us all from being swept into poverty – but what we’re seeing is people struggling to heat homes and put food on the table because they simply cannot afford the basics anymore and that just isn’t right.
“We know it doesn’t have to be like this. In the short-term we’re urging the public to donate generously during the first part of December and into the new year, as unfortunately the need for foodbanks is not going to end after Christmas.
“Ultimately, it’s unacceptable that anyone should have to use a foodbank in the first place. We do not want to be here in the long-term, continuing to pick up the pieces. That’s why we’re urging the Government to ensure benefits payments reflect the cost of living and reduce the waiting time for Universal Credit to help ensure we are all anchored from poverty.”
The Trussell Trust has launched its Christmas campaign to help raise funds to support its network of foodbanks. The charity relies on voluntary donations to support its network of foodbanks to provide essential emergency food, offer additional support to tackle the underlying causes of someone’s crisis, and campaign for change to structural drivers of foodbank use. You can donate to the campaign here.
To find information on what items of stock are most needed at individual foodbanks in The Trussell Trust’s network, find their website via https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/ and click on the links to “Give help”/”Donate food”.
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Contact
Contact The Trussell Trust Press Office at 020 3137 3699 or [email protected].
Notes to Editor
During December 2017, The Trussell Trust’s network provided 159,388 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis; 65,622 of these went to children.
This is a 49% increase on the monthly average for the 2017-18 financial year, which was 106,872 three day supplies to people.
During December 2016, The Trussell Trust’s network provided 144,677 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis; 60,067 of these went to children.
About The Trussell Trust:
- The Trussell Trust is here to end hunger and poverty in the UK. We support a network of 428 foodbanks, operating out of more than 1200 centres across the UK.
- It takes more than food to end hunger. We do three things: support our network to provide emergency food to people referred; help foodbanks provide additional support to resolve the cause of foodbank referral; and bring together the experiences of hundreds of communities on the frontline to challenge the structural issues that lock people in poverty. We’re campaigning for long-term change so we can see a future without the need for foodbanks.
- Read more at www.trusselltrust.org
Trussell Trust foodbank statistics:
- Trussell Trust statistics are a measure of volume rather than unique users. You can read more about this here.
- The data is collected using a live online system into which foodbanks enter data from each foodbank voucher, and the number of three day emergency food supplies (containing enough food for 10 meals) is recorded, along with the reason for referral.
- Trussell Trust figures cannot be used to fully explain the scale of foodbank use across the UK, because our figures relate to foodbanks in our network and not to the hundreds of independent food aid banks. Research suggests that Trussell Trust foodbank centres account for roughly two-thirds of all emergency food banks in the UK. You can read more about this here.
