A blog post by
Abby Jitendra
Policy & Research Manager

Last year, the Prime Minister told the nation that austerity was over. But food banks, and the growing number of people who need them, will need convincing.

So far, the Government’s attempts at protecting people in poverty have been piecemeal. Rather than bold action to end austerity, the last Budget made some cash available for some very low paid working households on Universal Credit, but still left millions worse off.

This support won’t go far enough to reduce the record demand food banks have seen – our network gave out 1.3 million three-day parcels, a 13% increase in need, in the last financial year.

And yesterday, the Office for National Statistics reported that the average incomes of the poorest fell over 2018, while the average incomes of the richest rose. They singled out austerity as the main cause of this rising inequality.

We created our benefits system to help people trapped in poverty, but without enough funding to get people back on their feet, the current system locks people in.

What do we need from the Spring Statement?

The Chancellor has played down the impact of the upcoming Spring Statement, calling it a ‘holding statement’.

But it’s easy to see why we are hoping for better news. It’s the Government’s last chance before Brexit to offer support and certainty for people on the lowest incomes. And it’s a chance to show real intent to end austerity as promised.

These are two important changes we’ll be asking for. 

1. An end to the benefits freeze

We are entering the fourth year of working-age benefits being frozen at the level they were at in 2016.

This time last year we found that the key driver for the rise in need for food banks was that incomes were not covering the cost of essentials – and the majority of these incomes were through benefits. That’s also when we saw food prices increase, just as payments were stagnating – meaning a family was spending more to eat less.

A year on, we know that 200,000 people have already been pushed into poverty by the freeze so far. Families with children, particularly single parent families, are disproportionately affected – these are also the groups most likely to need a food bank’s help.

We, along with other charities and MPs across the political spectrum, are calling for the freeze to be ended before it causes more harm.

2. An end to the five week wait for the first Universal Credit payment:

We know that the five week wait can push people into needing a food bank’s help. People on the frontline have been telling us since the policy was rolled out.

One mum responding to our survey on the experiences of claimants described the impact of the wait on her and her family:

‘I have fallen into debt, juggling a lot [with] my three children. My anxiety and depression have returned, well never really went away, but I feel like it’s gotten a lot worse. [I] can’t breathe with worry, very little money left, sometimes going hungry…’

We know that the Department’s offer of a loan during this wait simply doesn’t go far enough and repayments can push people into financial difficulties – effectively leaving a choice of hardship now or hardship later.

Since we launched our campaign #5WeeksTooLong, we’ve seen a groundswell of support from food bank managers and volunteers, people who have been affected by the wait, and the public, all calling for it to end.

Will the Chancellor listen?

On Tuesday, the Treasury Minister told us that the Government was listening to the sector. The Department for Work and Pensions has told us they too are in ‘listening mode’.

An end to both the benefits freeze and the five week wait for the first Universal Credit payment would put money back into the pockets of those who have lost the most from austerity – and mean everyone sees the ‘better days’ the Prime Minister promised back in October.

The people on the frontline have spoken. Will the Chancellor listen?

Join the Trussell Trust’s #5WeeksTooLong Universal Credit campaign now.

A blog post by Tom Say Campaigns Manager

Last week, MPs debated how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spends our money, ahead of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement on 13 March. In just a few days, over a thousand #5WeeksTooLong campaigners emailed their MP asking them to speak up on the five week wait for Universal Credit.

MPs from across the political spectrum did just that and there were some glimmers of hope in the government minister’s response. It was a wide ranging debate but reading through the speeches of the MPs that spoke I noticed three key themes around the five week wait:

1. Our benefits system should be fighting poverty

“We must never forget that, like the NHS, our social security system should be there for all of us in our time of need, providing security and dignity in retirement and the support needed should we become sick or disabled or fall on hard times. It is a vital weapon in our fight against poverty and inequality—and one of which we should be proud, not ashamed.”

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour

“The DWP should exist to help families break free from poverty, to support people into work who are able to work and to provide security in old age.”

Christine Jardine MP, Liberal Democrat

2. People are struggling with the five week wait and advance payments are not the answer

“I want to mention one of my constituents… who has said:

“I volunteer with a food bank. I am also a Methodist minister who has had to find benevolent funds to pay for gas and electricity while people wait five weeks for their first payment. We cannot expect people to live like that.”

Liz Twist MP, Labour

“57% of new Universal Credit claimants are taking an advance. The proportion of those applying for Universal Credit who have a month’s savings, as the policy assumes, is less than half. Most applicants have to go into debt to the DWP and take an advance to stay afloat in the first five weeks. Having been forced into debt in that way by the Department, far too many people find it impossible to get out of it. That is why we have seen the big increase in demand for food banks.”

Stephen Timms MP, Labour

“If there is an acceptance that people need an advance, why say that the money needs to be paid back? People cannot be expected to live off fresh air, and they should not be expected to prolong indebtedness or financial hardship”

Neil Gray MP, Shadow SNP Spokesperson

3. The DWP can change the system but the Treasury needs to give them the money

“With the greatest respect, Universal Credit is not built to deal with people who have no financial resilience at all. They are the people that we are talking about, and these cuts have absolutely cut them to the bone.”

Heidi Allen MP, Independent

“There is also a growing campaign, as we have heard again today, for the Government to do more on the five-week wait for Universal Credit… I know [Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Amber Rudd MP] is pleading with the Treasury for the resources to go further, and we hope we can hear of that at the Spring Statement.”

Neil Gray MP, Shadow SNP Spokesperson

“I would certainly like the additional surplus that this excellent Chancellor has created to go towards hopefully ending the benefit freeze as soon as possible, allowing investment in universal support, and reducing further the waiting times [for Universal Credit].”

Alex Burghart MP, Conservative

The Government minister’s response

DWP minister Justin Tomlinson MP, responded by saying the Government is “continuing to listen to these debates to make further improvements”. We won’t be getting carried away just yet.

We need ministers to turn words into action and end the five week wait. Whether it’s announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement next week or (more likely) the Spending Review later in the year, you can help make that happen.

Join the #5WeeksTooLong campaign now  or find out more on our website.

A blog post by Tom Say Campaigns Manager

We’re a country that prides itself on making sure proper support is in place for each other when help is most needed – that’s why we created our fire service, our health service, and our benefits system.

But Universal Credit – our new benefits system – isn’t the poverty-fighting reform that was promised.

In 2018, our research showed a 52% average increase in food bank use in areas that have had Universal Credit for at least 12 months compared to 13% in areas that have not.

The five week wait is too long

From the very start, everyone who applies for Universal Credit has to wait at least five weeks for a first payment – and some people wait longer.

This is leaving many without enough money to cover the basics.

There are other problems with Universal Credit, but the five week wait is one of the key reasons why we’ve seen a rise in people needing food banks where it has been rolled out.

The government knows the wait is too long

“I don’t want people to have to go to food banks.”

That’s one of the first things Amber Rudd, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said when asked about the five week wait for the first Universal Credit payment.

That’s why the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) offers ‘Advance Payments’ to those struggling with the wait. But, because these have to be repaid, they leave people between a rock and a hard place: no money now or not enough money later?

And it’s why from July 2020 some benefits under the old system will carry on being paid for two weeks when you transfer over to Universal Credit. But this still leaves a three week gap and, in the meantime, 1.6 million people are expected to move onto the new system without this support.

So people may still be forced to food banks as a result. This is not right.

#5WeeksTooLong

The government needs to end the five week wait – you can help make that happen by joining the #5WeeksTooLong campaign.

We’re asking everyone who thinks five weeks is too long to join together with food banks, charities, faith and community groups, so we can show how damaging the wait is and demand change from Amber Rudd and her colleagues in government.

Sign up now to join the campaign or find out more on our website .

A blog post by Garry Lemon Director of Policy, External Affairs & Research

This month, the Department for Work & Pensions provided more information about the changes they’re making to the next stage of Universal Credit. But what do these plans actually mean, and will they make a difference to people teetering on the edge?

Until now, only people making a new application have needed to apply for Universal Credit. The next stage, ‘managed migration’, is to move people still receiving help from the old benefits system onto the new one.

Universal Credit should be fighting poverty, not forcing people to food banks. But when we first saw the initial plans for this next stage last summer, we were worried that they would result in many more people needing food banks.

The government expected 3 million people to make a brand new claim for Universal Credit after getting a letter telling them to apply. The plans didn’t specify what support would be available, or if there would be any help for people who needed it (you can read more here). (more…)

A blog post by
Garry Lemon
Director of Policy, External Affairs & Research

At The Trussell Trust, we have been clear: no one in the UK should need to use a foodbank. But during the last year, we’ve seen huge increases in people being referred. This isn’t right. And it isn’t inevitable.

We can end hunger and poverty in the UK. Poverty acts like a current, with big structural things – like the rising cost of living or insecure work – sweeping people away and leaving them without enough money for the basics. We know what things will anchor people against those tides and reduce the need for foodbanks.

This isn’t just something we say, this is something we act upon as well.  In recent months we have:

• Launched the biggest study into foodbank use in UK history, and spoke clearly and publically about how the groups that we find overrepresented in foodbanks are the same that have seen some of the harshest benefit cuts
• Been in the vanguard of organisations speaking out against Universal Credit, with our research and experience of the failings of this new benefit discussed at all levels of Government
• Submitted evidence to organisations like the United Nations and National Audit Office about the impact of policies on the ground
• Gathered together evidence from foodbanks across the UK to successfully call for billions of pounds to be reinvested back into the benefits system. Though by no means fixing all the problems people face, this will make a real difference to the lives of millions of people in the future

We will continue to call for a benefits system that provides sufficient money and support to anyone who needs it; work that is secure and pays fairly; and emergency support from local authorities that fills the gaps when someone is hit by something unexpected.

But to make sure everyone in the UK can access these crucial elements of support, we need policy change. So we must work with the people who have the power to make that change.

As a charity, we work hard to engage with politicians of all parties to make sure that they recognise and understand the issues people referred to foodbanks face, and what needs to happen so people don’t need a foodbank in the future.

Charity law means we can’t be party political – but even if it didn’t, we think it’s important to talk to politicians of all parties. Poverty is an issue that needs action on all sides. If we want to create long-lasting change so people are protected from needing a foodbank in the future, we need everyone – irrespective of political opinion – to get behind the change that’s needed.

As an organisation, we’re clear what our work is about. We want to make sure everyone referred to a foodbank gets the best possible support, but at the same time we’re dedicated to bringing about long-term change so that help isn’t needed in the future.

We’re not a country that will stand for people needing foodbanks. I know the British public want to see a future where nobody is ever pushed to the doors of any charity because there isn’t enough money for the basics.

Getting there might not be easy, but it definitely can be done. Politicians’ support for foodbanks shouldn’t begin and end with a donation – they need to do more. I would ask all politicians to look at the evidence foodbanks in our network have gathered and to act upon it, with the first step they take being an end to the five-week wait for Universal Credit.

A blog post by
Sumi Rabindrakumar
Head of Policy & Research 

The new Secretary of State has said she wants to make sure that Universal Credit “becomes a force wholly for good”. After successive cuts, flawed design and problematic delivery, this is a bold ambition. Her first test will be the much-anticipated next stage of Universal Credit roll-out – ‘managed migration’.

The government is poised to debate regulations which determine the process for the next stage of Universal Credit, where people claiming benefits under the old systems will need to move to the new benefits system. The task at hand cannot be underestimated. Three million people will have their benefits stopped and will need to reapply to continue to receive support.

The Trussell Trust, among others, voiced strong concerns that the government’s original proposals placed the burden of transfer entirely on claimants, putting at risk their income and vital promised protection for people receiving legacy benefits (‘transitional protection’).

The government’s revised proposals show some positive steps forward. These include more realistic deadlines for making new claims and additional two-week benefit payments to manage the five-week wait for a first payment. But, based on the evidence from our foodbank network, we know much more is needed to ensure people do not continue to be pushed into crisis by moving onto Universal Credit:

• People still risk losing income, as old benefit payments will be stopped rather than automatically transferring people to the new system. There are many reasons why someone may not be able to apply for Universal Credit, for example if they are anxious about letters or do not understand the process. There is a very limited timeline for backdating, so missing your ‘deadline day’ can have serious consequences.
• Testing has high stakes with little public scrutiny. A slow approach to the next stage of Universal Credit is sensible, but the success of transfer now rests almost entirely on the ‘test and learn’ process from July 2019, for around 10,000 claimants. The Department for Work & Pensions has committed to involving stakeholders and publishing an impact assessment before expanding ‘managed migration’, but has not stated what impact it will measure.
• People will continue to suffer in the meantime. Hundreds of thousands of people will transfer to Universal Credit in the coming months, before ‘managed migration’ officially starts. Common life changes which leave you needing support, such as a separation, moving house, or losing a job, will mean you need to apply for Universal Credit. People in this position won’t see the improvements promised, and will still bear the brunt of the five-week wait for a first payment, until at least July 2020.

The now-former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions provided reassurances that the Department will take a “measured approach…to get it right”. Her successor has already acknowledged there are some “not insignificant areas that need changing”.

But words alone are not enough.

Parliament needs to vote to pass these regulations; we are calling on the government to use this opportunity to address the issues raised here and by others. Testing the use of existing information to generate new claims rather than dismissing this out of hand, agreeing success criteria for ‘test and learn’, providing the same support for people ‘naturally’ moving onto the system in the coming months and years – these are all firm and transparent commitments that can, and should, be made.

Too many people – claimants, volunteers, charities, local services – have borne the brunt of the government’s failings over Universal Credit to date. As the UN envoy reported last Friday, foodbanks cannot step in to do the government’s job.

Our benefits system should anchor people from being swept into poverty. The final stage of Universal Credit roll-out will be an important measure of how seriously the government takes this responsibility.

When these regulations are debated in the coming weeks, the new Secretary of State has a chance to do more than just listen. Instead, she can show that we have a government genuinely willing to protect people from crisis and make real improvements for households across the country.

A blog post by Garry Lemon Director of Policy, External Affairs & Research

On Monday afternoon the Government published an update to its plans for the next stage of Universal Credit, ‘managed migration’.

Until now, only people making a new application have gone onto the new benefits system. This next stage will see people already receiving a benefits or tax credits payment under the old system move onto Universal Credit.

At The Trussell Trust, we’ve been watching the development of these plans closely. As a nation we created systems like our national health service, fire service and benefits system because we’re a country that believes in protecting each other – but we’ve seen more and more people needing foodbanks in areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out.

We’ve been sharing evidence gathered by foodbank volunteers to highlight the things that need to change, and asking the Government to learn lessons from the roll out of Universal Credit so far in three ways:

1. Take responsibility for moving people onto Universal Credit and make sure no one has a gap in their income if they’re already supported by the old benefit system
2. Provide the right support for people on Universal Credit, so everyone is comfortable managing their claim digitally, has support with managing their finances if they need it and is offered payment flexibilities
3. Publish a schedule for the next stage of Universal Credit, ensuring there are opportunities to review the process and make changes whilst it is underway if they are needed

So how do Monday’s announcements measure against these?

The updated plans show the Department for Work & Pensions is listening. Easing the rules around when you need to make a claim and when you can backdate late claims are positive steps. Together with the move in last week’s Budget to allow an extra two weeks of DWP payments from July 2020, these measures should help to reduce the risk of people losing out on vital income in the next stage of Universal Credit.

But there is much more to be done.

The government is still pushing the responsibility of this next stage onto claimants. People will need to make a new claim and therefore still risk losing their income. Without attempting to automate any part of the transfer process, the Government cannot claim this next stage of migration to the new system is ‘managed’ at all.

There’s also no information about whether the right support will be in place – this will be vital to ensure people aren’t left without money. The Government has pushed back the timeline for managed migration, to allow a ‘test and learn’ phase next year. This must lead to genuine safeguards and support, and we will continue to make sure the voices of people who have used foodbanks and volunteer in them inform the Government’s plans.

And finally, we must not forget that before the next stage of Universal Credit begins, thousands of people will be making new Universal Credit claims.

None of the changes announced in the last two weeks will be in place for people this winter – most won’t be seen for at least 18 months. Monday’s announcement won’t help people like Ruth, who spoke to the BBC this week about being forced to turn to a foodbank during the wait for a first Universal Credit payment. She needed our benefits system to anchor her from being swept into poverty after she was made redundant, but the gap in income left her struggling to cover the costs of essentials for her young family and she had to use a foodbank.

As a priority, we’re worried about  the problems people at foodbanks are experiencing with moving onto Universal Credit. If the wait isn’t reduced for all people making new claims, the only way to stop even more people like Ruth being forced to foodbanks this winter will be to pause all new claims to Universal Credit, until the necessary funding is in place. Reducing the five-week wait won’t fix everything, but it would make a real difference in protecting people from crisis.

Foodbanks cannot continue to pick up the pieces. We have to make sure our benefits system can protect people from hunger. Recent announcements are welcome, but only a start. Much more must still be done to ensure Universal Credit is preventing people from needing a foodbank, not pushing them to one.