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

Universal Credit is the biggest change to the welfare system in a generation and here at The Trussell Trust, we’ve been working hard with foodbanks in our network to monitor it. Our research has found that the system is leaving people behind – disabled people, families, and other vulnerable groups – and can push people into debt. Analysing data from foodbanks in our network, we’ve found that foodbanks in full Universal Credit rollout for 12 months or more have seen a 52% increase in need, compared to 13% elsewhere.

This is unacceptable. We need change now. You can help make this change.

The Trussell Trust has been working with End Hunger UK, since its inception in 2016, to tackle the root causes of hunger and lobby for policy and structural changes from government. End Hunger UK is built on a vision of a society where everyone has access to good food, and no one must go to bed hungry.

Abby Jitendra, Policy and Research Manager

Every week foodbanks in our network meet people with health conditions or disabilities who, without emergency help from the local community, would have faced going hungry. Just as we all expect to be able to access free healthcare anywhere in the UK, we would expect that if you are struggling to get by because of a health condition, sufficient financial support would be available. But poor administration and continued reductions in disabled people’s benefit payments mean the welfare safety net, which should be freeing people from the restraints of poverty, is locking people in.

Samantha Stapley, Director of Operations:

Foodbanks in our network use standard packing lists for each emergency food parcel that goes to someone in crisis. This is to ensure a balanced supply of food, whatever the household size, is provided to everyone referred – you can see an example of a list for a single person below.

Abby Jitendra, Senior Policy Officer at The Trussell Trust

‘I am sick, disabled, and visually impaired, hard of hearing. No help has been offered. I had to go ask my local church for help.’

The impact of Universal Credit on society in the UK is only just beginning to be felt. By 2022, all existing eligible claimants – 12 million people – still on the legacy benefits system will have been migrated to the new system. Universal Credit is, by design, a departure from the legacy benefits system, and the transition has already had wide-ranging effects on claimants, statutory bodies, and voluntary organisations.

Garry Lemon, Head of External Affairs at The Trussell Trust:

Since its inception we have supported – and still support – the key principles of Universal Credit. We agree that a simplified benefits system that is easier to navigate would help millions of people across the UK. We agree that work should always pay for those supported by this new benefit.

But there is a third principle that must underpin our entire welfare state: it must provide enough money for those who need it to afford the basics – at the very least, food and shelter. As a nation, we expect no one should be left hungry or destitute. Illness, disability, family breakdown or the loss of a job can happen to any of us. We owe it to ourselves to ensure sufficient financial support is there when we need it most.

If you’ve caught any news over the past few years, you’ve probably heard a fair bit about the rise in foodbank use.

But it’s hard to imagine what a foodbank is actually like if you’ve never been inside one.

I run Hamilton District Foodbank. We work across Hamilton and Blantyre in South Lanarkshire, and have been giving emergency food to people referred to us since 2013 – in 2016-17 we provided 4,015 food supplies to local people. But like so many other foodbanks in The Trussell Trust’s network, we offer a lot more than emergency food.

“I am constantly writing letters and making phone calls to see what help or advice I can get. I am at breaking point, as each day there is something else to contend with. I feel helpless, mentally exhausted and so low. I really don’t know what I am going to do. I cannot get by month to month. It’s hard enough doing it week to week on a low income. I can’t afford to use my heating, even though it is so cold and my son suffers with his chest and lungs. No doubt he will end up in hospital during this cold period.”

This Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, we want to want to raise awareness not only of fuel poverty, but also the responses, both amongst local communities and through policy, that can stem the tide.

As a society, we believe in justice and compassion. That, as we grow up, we should have the same chance to get on and succeed in life – whether we’re from the Cheshire countryside, or the potteries of Stoke-on-Trent.

For most of us, this starts with having enough to eat, proper clothing, and a safe place to call home. But what happens when we can’t put enough food on the table? Who can – and should – step in to help?

It’s simply not acceptable that so many people in the UK face hunger, and we won’t sit by whilst increasing numbers of people are expected to hit crisis and need a foodbank’s help.

We’re committed to creating long term change, challenging the structural issues that lock people into poverty and seeing an end to the need for foodbanks. Whilst we work on this, we’re also committed to ensuring everyone referred to a foodbank in our network receives the best possible support.

“I was sanctioned because I missed an appointment at the Job Centre.  I was severely depressed, and sometimes when I am like that I can’t leave the flat.  My electric has almost run out so I can’t heat water and I am having a light on as little as possible. I know the cause of my depression and anxiety but I can’t get any free counselling or help.”

Mick’s* account of his struggle to keep his benefits in payment is typical of many of those we hear at Exeter Foodbank.  Disclosing personal details to strangers, filling out complex paperwork or navigating call centre phone systems can be daunting for anyone.  For those, like Mick, who suffer from chronic mental health conditions, or have limited literacy and digital skills, it can be a Herculean step too far.  Many arrive at our foodbank’s doors in desperate circumstances, with nowhere else to turn.