At Trussell, we’re clear: Food banks can’t be a substitute for a working welfare system

21 May 2025, 08:46 | Updated: 21 May 2025, 11:25

By Emma Revie

Yesterday, a single father called Andrew told me he skips every other meal so his 8-year-old daughter can eat.

He survives on the leftovers on her plate and is then forced to make excuses for why he's not eating, because she gets so worried. This is agonising. It’s not right – but this is the harsh reality people are facing across the UK.

Today, we reveal that nearly 3 million emergency food parcels were provided by food banks in the Trussell community over the past year, with over a million for children.

Devastatingly, since 2019/20, there has been a 46% rise in parcels provided to families with children and a 32% rise in parcels to support children under the age of five.

While the harrowing details Andrew shared shook me, they are becoming far too familiar. We face a generational challenge in tackling the record levels of hunger and hardship in our communities and the scale of what lies ahead can’t be overstated. We have never wanted to say this, but food banks are no longer the emergency response they were meant to be. They have instead become integral fixtures in communities up and down the country.

We are at a point where doctors, nurses and health visitors are routinely referring people to food banks as part of their day–to-day jobs.  Meanwhile, a food bank manager recently told me that some people are saying they haven’t eaten for three days by the time they come for help.

Children are missing out at school, unable to fully participate in educational or extra-curricular activities. Stigma and bullying can mean some children feel isolated from their peers. Young people can feel further education and training is a risk rather than an opportunity, damaging the self-esteem and motivation that can come from the freedom of choosing your own path in life.

This can and must end – but it’s a political choice. Right now, the UK government faces a pivotal moment to act and turn the tide on poverty – because hunger is not inevitable.

With MPs soon to vote on the UK government’s proposals to cut essential support for sick and disabled people, Trussell is warning that these changes could force even more people to turn to food banks. We are urging the government to re-think these proposed cuts and to urgently update Universal Credit to ensure that everyone has enough money to afford the essentials in life.

We at Trussell are also calling on the UK government to fulfil its commitment to an ambitious child poverty strategy, which must include ending the two-child limit – a change that would lift 470,000 children out of severe hardship.

Governments across the nations and regions of the UK have a vital role to play. They cannot oversee a legacy of a rising tide of deep financial hardship.

While we continue to campaign for meaningful change, you can help make sure food banks can continue their work in the year ahead by donating food or funds to Trussell or your local food bank. Together, we can end hunger in the UK. Support us at trussell.org.uk

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Emma Revie is the chief executive of anti-poverty charity Trussell, an anti-poverty charity that supports more than 1,200 food banks to provide emergency food to people in crisis, and offer additional support.

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