It is unacceptable that anyone has to rely on a food bank in one of the richest countries in the world - Margaret Greenwood responds to Human Rights Watch report

Margaret Greenwood MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on a report by Human Rights Watch which shows that major changes to the social security system, driven by cuts to public spending, have exacerbated food poverty, said:

“It is unacceptable that anyone has to rely on a food bank in one of the richest countries in the world.

“Yet the stark reality is that many families in the UK are being pushed into poverty and are struggling to put food on the table.

“Responsibility for this growing crisis lies firmly at the door of the Conservatives’ cruel social security cuts and their failure to tackle low pay and insecure work.

“The Government must wake up to this catastrophe, end the benefit freeze immediately, stop the roll out of Universal Credit and make ending poverty the priority it should be.”