Trussell Trust: Almost 1.3 million emergency parcels provided to people across UK experiencing hunger over past six months, as cost of living emergency drives ‘tsunami of need’ to food banks

• New figures from the Trussell Trust show more emergency food parcels were given out during the April to September period than ever before
• Over the last six months, 320,000 people have been forced to turn to food bank in the Trussell Trust network for first time
• New research finds one in five people referred to food bank in the Trussell Trust network are in working households
• The charity is urging the UK government to take immediate action as food banks face ‘breaking point’. Volunteers set for busiest winter yet as levels of need outstrip donations

New figures released today by the Trussell Trust reveal that 1.3m emergency food parcels were provided to people between April and September this year by food banks in the charity’s UK network and almost half a million of these went to children. That’s a third more than were provided during the same period in 2021 and an increase of more than 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The Trussell Trust, which supports more than 1,300 food bank centres, says the cost of living emergency has created a ‘tsunami of need’, as people struggle to survive amidst the soaring costs of living.

With need outstripping donations for the first time in its history, the charity has been forced to launch an emergency appeal to ensure that food banks can meet the alarming level of need in their communities. 

In the first half of this financial year alone, the Trussell Trust’s food bank network provided more parcels than in a full 12-month period five years ago, when 1.2 million emergency food parcels were distributed. Over the last six months, 320,000 people have been forced to turn to a food bank in the Trussell Trust network for the first time which represents a 40% increase compared to 2021.

The charity warns that food banks are at ‘breaking point’, both physically and mentally, and are set to face the hardest winter yet as they expect to provide more than 7,000 emergency food parcels a day on average in the next six months.

Josie Barlow, food bank manager at Bradford Foodbank said: “Someone who came to the food bank recently told me that ‘buying milk is a luxury now'. So many people are struggling with bills and food prices. We are fortunate to be able to help people and we work hard to support them in both the short and long term, but we are also facing challenges. We have seen a huge increase in people coming to the food bank in the last two months compared to the same period last year and our stock levels are very low for this time of the year.”

Furthermore, new research to be released by the charity next year, finds that one in five people referred to a food bank in the Trussell Trust network are in working households. The charity is supporting more and more people who are working but still can’t afford the essentials which is leading to food banks having to change their opening times to make sure working people can pick up their parcels outside of work hours.

The Trussell Trust is calling on the UK government to act decisively in next week’s Budget. Over the last few years, the charity’s network of food banks has seen how the right support, at the right time, can help people out of hardship. Most recently, the government’s targeted support to people on the lowest incomes via July’s Cost of Living Payment correlated with a small dip in need at food banks. However, the charity warns that short-term interventions are neither sustainable for government nor dignified for people who are struggling, and they don’t solve the longer-term problem of people having to rely on food banks.

Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said:

“These new statistics show that, even in summer months, people are struggling to afford the essentials and we are expecting that this winter will be the hardest yet for food banks and the people they support. This is not right.

“We know that with the right support and a stable and sufficient income, people don’t need to turn to food banks for support. Over the last few years, the government has acted to protect people who are struggling, and this action has had made a difference. They must now act again: with swift support now to help people through the winter, and with vision for the longer-term to ensure that social security is always enough to weather challenging times.

“We are calling for the Prime Minister to act decisively in next week’s budget. We urge the UK government to realise their commitment of supporting people on the lowest income with a broad package of support. As well as ensuring that benefits rise with inflation as soon as possible, this must go further to close the gap between price rises and incomes over the winter.”

If you are in a position to donate, you can support the Trussell Trust’s Emergency Appeal Found now by donating vital funds to help the charity supporting food banks this winter. Visit trusselltrust.org/appeal.

ENDS    

Notes to editors: 

Number of emergency food parcels distributed by food banks in the Trussell Trust network in the mid-year periods of 2022/23, 2021/22 and 2019/20.   

1. In the mid-year period of 2022/23 (1 April – 30 September inclusive) these parcels were distributed by 1,499 distribution centres operating in 291 local authorities across the UK. 
2. The Trussell Trust’s Data Collection System allows us to track whether someone has used a food bank in our network for the first time. In this mid-year period 327,918 people (including adults and children) were referred to food banks in our network for the first time. This is a 40% increase from the same period last year when 234,823 people were referred to the network for the first time.
3. To estimate future need for food banks the Trussell Trust has used the number of parcels distributed in the second half of the financial year 2020/21. In the first half of this financial year the number of parcels distributed was slightly higher than the equivalent in 2020/21.
4. One in five people referred to food banks are living in working households. A working household is defined if the survey respondent describe state any of the following: that their main activity as being in work;  they say they have any paid work; they say someone in their household is working.

This data is from a large scale survey of people referred to food banks. Ipsos surveyed 2,364 UK adults aged 18+ who had been referred to food banks within the Trussell Trust network between 01 April and 15 July 2022. Food banks were sampled across the UK, with questionnaires randomly distributed within food parcels. In total, 99 food banks participated in the study. Data are weighted to match the profile of UK adults referred to Trussell Trust food banks

1. Food banks distributed 180,000 parcels to people facing financial hardship in July 2022 – significantly lower than any other month this year (although still 12% higher than the same month in 2021). July 2022 coincided with the delivery of the first Cost of Living Payment. Food banks distributed on average 220,000 parcels in the other five months of this year.
2. In the first half of this year, food banks have had to purchase more than twice (a 110% increase) as much food as the same period last year as a result of this they are spending on average £1,400 per month on purchasing food.
3. ‘Emergency food parcel’: this typically is a three-day parcel containing emergency food for one person. During the crisis food banks have also been distributing seven-day parcels. For this release the Trussell Trust have simply combined both three-day and seven-day parcels together to report the total number of emergency food parcels that were distributed.  
4. Need for emergency food is driven by a lack of income. The Trussell Trust’s State of Hunger research shows that 95% of people referred to food banks are destitute, meaning they don’t have enough income to buy the essentials that we all need. State of Hunger  
5. Figures from the Trussell Trust network cannot be used to fully explain the scale of food bank use across the UK. The Independent Food Aid Network(IFAN) has identified at least 1,124 independent food banks while there are also Salvation Army food banks as well as food banks run from schools and hospitals. There are also thousands of other food aid providers including soup kitchens and social supermarkets.