COVID and Foodbanks: A National Crisis

 by Mia Parry

With a staggering 10 million people and 4 million children living below the breadline pre COVID, the pandemic devastated the livelihoods of a further 700,000 people. Along with employment cuts, families relying on benefits will face an annual £1,040 income cut in September 2021 from the Universal Credit decrease. Therefore, now more than ever, families are turning to Food Banks run by charities such as the Trussell Trust who delivered a record 2.5 million food parcels to those in need throughout 2020, a 33% increase from the previous year.

To access food banks, people must have a referral from a charity, school or children’s centre. Even so, children in low income families attending breakfast clubs and on free school meals, now rely on teachers and volunteers to deliver lunch parcels. Labour called on the government to take urgent action and the Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said, “People need to be able to put food on their table. The government must put urgent support in place to ensure people already struggling to keep their heads above water and stay afloat.” Although this initiated a £20-a-week increase to universal credit, it was not enough to help those battling job cuts and debt. Staff numbers also plummeted as the predominantly older volunteer workforce self-isolated, leaving much of the work to emergency volunteers such as teachers and furloughed workers. 

Although the world is slowly getting back to normal, there are fears that COVID’s longer term consequences will leave an even bigger number of people this winter relying on Food banks to feed their families. However, the government has pledged to implement more legislation to tackle poverty in the colder months. A spokesperson said “We have announced a £400m package of support for this winter and beyond, including £170m to help families stay warm and well fed, millions in support for food aid charities and £220m to help children through the holiday activities and food programme.”