Record number of emergency food parcels handed out in a year, at over 3 million

15 May 2024, 05:51

The number of emergency food parcels handed out in the UK has reached a record level, with over three million distributed in a year.

The Trussell Trust foodbank network said that the number of emergency parcels given out is now more than double five years ago.

Figures for adults and children have both risen, the group said.

Some 3,121,404 parcels were distributed by food banks in its network up to the end of March, it added.

That included 1,977,308 for adults and 1,144,096 for children.

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A total of 665,000 parcels were given to first-time food bank users over the period - down slightly from the year before, but up 40% on five years earlier.

The number of parcels going to households that included a pensioner was up by about a quarter, with older people "finding themselves unable to afford essentials and facing hunger and severe hardship," the Trussell Trust said.

Wendy Doyle, who runs a food bank in Leeds, said: "Our volunteers are telling us that they are dealing with pensioners who can't afford to put food on the table due to having to pay higher energy costs and that is the choice they are having to make."

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Val McKie, who has previously needed the support of food banks, told how she found herself "overwhelmed with shame" when she was using them.

The former management consultant who lives in the North West, said: "After the tragic death of my husband of only four years, the loss of my steady income through my contractor closing down and finally my landlord selling my home, I was left couch surfing and destitute.

"More importantly I was overwhelmed with shame at the situation I was in. I struggled for years before I found the courage and strength to ask for help, these feelings are shared by so many people who need the support of food banks."

"She described the rising need for food banks as "a stain on our society" and something that affects everyone "either directly or indirectly".

She added: "We need to come together to end the need for food banks in the UK and create a society where everyone can flourish."

The Trussell Trust has called on political parties to commit, ahead of a general election, to tackling the problem, urging them to back a "supportive social security system" and better support for parents, carers and people with disabilities who can face increased living costs.

Emma Revie, its chief executive, said: "It's 2024 and we're facing historically high levels of food bank need. As a society, we cannot allow this to continue. We must not let food banks become the new norm.

"As we approach the next UK General Election, we urgently need all political leaders to set out how they will build a future where no one needs a food bank to survive.

"Voters want to see a change and we need cross-government action at all levels to deliver it. We know what's pushing people to food banks, so we know what needs to change."

Separately, a charity found that the amount donated to food banks had risen to over £973 million pounds in 2023, up from £635 million during the previous year.

Neil Heslop, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: "Even when times are tough, it's heart-warming to see how people respond generously to support charities around the UK providing for more and more families."