Posts in '2023'

By Helen Barnard – Director of Policy, Research and Impact

The cost of living crisis is deepening for some of those on the lowest incomes. We see this across our network of Trussell Trust food banks and in new research from YouGov which found that half of those on Universal Credit ran out of food in the last month and couldn’t afford to buy more.

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The Trussell Trust has published new research that reveals the true and devastating consequences of the inadequacy of Universal Credit, with millions of families across the country struggling to make ends meet – including working households and disabled people. (more…)

• New annual figures from the Trussell Trust show that almost 3 million (2,986,203) food parcels were given out – more than ever before
• Alarmingly more than a million of the parcels were provided for children
• The number of parcels provided between April 2022 – March 2023 is more than double the amount distributed by food banks in the same period five years ago
• The charity is calling for a stronger social security system that ensures we can at least cover life’s essentials, like food, heating, and clothes

New figures released today by the Trussell Trust reveal that almost 3 million (2,986,203) emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship between April 2022 and March 2023, with more than a million of these parcels provided for children. (more…)

• Charities the Trussell Trust and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) surprise commuters with billboard installation as they call on UK government to ensure Universal Credit at least covers the cost of life’s essentials
• Actor Charlotte Ritchie and singer-songwriter Joy Crookes join volunteers at installation to campaign for a future where everyone can afford life’s essentials

TODAY anti-poverty charities the Trussell Trust and JRF transformed a billboard close to Finsbury Park tube into a “till-board” with a 48-sheet receipt roll. The giant receipt lists the typical essential costs we all incur each week and highlights that these outgoings are always more than the basic rate of Universal Credit, forcing many people who need the support of the social security system to go without the essentials we all need to get by. (more…)

Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust, said:

“This winter has been incredibly challenging for people on the lowest incomes, and for many it has deepened the hardship they have already been facing for some time. The Trussell Trust welcomes some of the significant interventions announced by the Chancellor today that will provide some additional support to people on the lowest incomes. (more…)

Anti-poverty charity the Trussell Trust, who oversee a network of more than 1,300 food banks, has appointed Helen Barnard as their new Director of Policy, Research and Impact.

Helen, who was previously Associate Director at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Research and Policy Director at Pro Bono Economics, will join the Trussell Trust on 20th March. (more…)

In October 2022, we launched our first ever emergency appeal to help food banks facing their most challenging winter to date. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to provide emergency grants to hundreds of food banks across the UK and are now focusing on distributing the remaining funds to the food banks that need them most.

We are extremely grateful to everyone who donated to the appeal. We’d also like to thank Benefact, the People’s Postcode Lottery, Morrisons, Tesco, OVO, Sainsbury’s and Aviva for their support.

See how your donations have already made a difference below: (more…)

Today we launched a new campaign, Guarantee our Essentials, in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), calling on the UK government to enshrine in law the amount people need to ensure the basic rate of Universal Credit at least covers the essentials.

Universal Credit should offer support to anyone in need of help. But there’s now a significant gap between living costs and the income Universal Credit provides, according to both our and JRF’s calculations. Rates are also not based on what people need and how much essentials such as food, household bills and travel costs, which is driving increasing levels of hardship and pushing people to food banks, with 90% of low-income households on Universal Credit going without. (more…)