Six million people are facing hunger in the UK and people like me are being pushed to food banks

I’m 46 and live with an incurable bone disease. I used to work in finance, in a demanding job I can sadly no longer manage because of my health. Now I receive Universal Credit and when things get tight, I’ve had to turn to a food bank. 

So many of us have been feeling the pinch as prices have shot up in recent years. For people like me at the sharpest end, affording the essentials like food and heating  can feel impossible, no matter how carefully we budget. 

Living in a rural area brings its own challenges. Many homes like mine aren’t on mains gas, which means higher and less predictable energy costs. Like one in five households in the UK, I have to rely on heating oil to keep my home warm. But whatever the source of energy, the reality is that when prices increase, there is very little room for people like me to absorb the shock. 

That’s why today’s figures are so alarming. They show that 6 million people in the UK are facing hunger. Trussell reported recently that food banks provided more than 2.6 million parcels last year – 45% more than in 2019. This is not right, and shows just how many people are still being pushed to the brink. 

I have seen this first hand at the food bank. The staff and volunteers do everything they can but they are overstretched.  Many people are walking through the doors who never expected to need that kind of support. 

The government’s recent support measures, including the £53 million package and the extension of the Warm Home Discount for people on means-tested benefits, will make a difference. I’m genuinely grateful for that help, it will ease some of the immediate pressure. 

But we can’t stop there. As today’s data shows, hardship in the UK is still deeply entrenched. There’s still so much uncertainty. We don’t know what will happen to prices in the months ahead. But if costs rise again, it will be people like me who feel it first – and hardest. For many of us, even modest increases will mean facing impossible choices.

In uncertain times, progress is fragile. We need firmer foundations for people on the lowest incomes so that everyone can afford the essentials, like food or heating. Because behind all these statistics are real people, trying to get by and making difficult decisions every day. No one should have to turn to a food bank to survive. But with political will and the right support, together we can make food banks a thing of the past. 

Anti-poverty charity Trussell provided over 2.6 million food parcels last year. To support or donate visit www.trussell.org.uk

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