More than one million food parcels were distributed to children in one year, unheard of

Via Le Figaro with AFP

Published 04/26/2023 at 01:29

Food bank use in the UK, which is in a deep cost-of-living crisis, rose last year as more than a million parcels were distributed to children for the first time, according to a charity on Wednesday (April 26). Between April 2022 and March 2023 nearly three million emergency food parcels were distributed by the Trussell Trust, a charity that runs an extensive network of food banks in the country. This is the total number of parcels distributed by the association in a year so far.

More than 1.1 million of these emergency kits were distributed to children, an increase of 36% in one year, he underlines. “These new figures are very worrying and show that a growing number of people have no choice but to turn to charities (…) and it’s not fair”Emma Revie, managing director of the Trussell Trust, was quoted as saying in a press release.

“Social benefits do not reflect essential costs”

This last judge “irrelevant” A social assistance system designed to support the poor. “The social benefits (of housing) do not reflect the essential costs, resulting in people being pushed into even deeper misery”she insists.

According to the association, more than 760,000 people used the food bank for the first time between April 2022 and March 2023, demonstrating the scale of the crisis as British households face months of inflation of more than 10%. All regions of the United Kingdom were affected, with an increase in parcels delivered of at least 28% in every region and reaching 54% in the poor North East.

“Unprecedented Increase”

“We are experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of people coming to food banks, especially those who are unable to make ends meet due to the rising cost of living.”Brian Thomas, head of the food bank in South Tyneside, in the north-east of the country, was quoted as saying in a press release.

The association calls upon the Govt “Act Now to Strengthen Social Security System”. In addition to regular social assistance, the government has released exceptional measures in the wake of the crisis, notably this year 900 pounds (about 1,000 euros) for very modest families or 300 pounds to help retirees. Pay their energy bills.