NEU comment on Food Insecurity, Lords Committee Report on Hunger

Commenting on Hungry for change: fixing the failures in food, a report published today by the House of Lords Food, Poverty, Health and Environment Committee, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

“This report should serve as an urgent wake up call to the Government. Families should be able to access not only enough food, but also the food that they need to stay healthy. With over 200,000 children pushed into poverty by the Coronavirus crisis, our members know that many will go hungry unless radical steps are taken immediately.

"Food poverty and insecurity have a severely detrimental impact on a child’s ability to learn in school. It affects their attainment, confidence and mental health. 4.5 million children will be trapped in poverty by Christmas – Government must act now to implement a nationwide strategic plan to increase household incomes and release families from the shame and indignity of having to rely on foodbanks and food voucher schemes.

“The global health crisis has seen communities come together through hardship and adversity – when we move beyond this pandemic, we must build back a society in which no child comes to school too hungry to learn."