Blog

By Beatrice Orchard, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager

In the last year, food banks in the Trussell Trust network distributed more than 3.1 million emergency food parcels – the highest number in our history.

This is not a new record anyone wanted to set.

These statistics help to shine a spotlight on the extent of hardship facing communities across the UK. This year, as we approach the forthcoming general election, we must also use them to draw attention to the solutions that can finally reverse this horrifying trend of ever-increasing food bank need.

By Rory Weal – Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager

The Chancellor yesterday asserted that his budget would be all about taking the “long-term” decisions. However, what we saw was long-term decisions for some – namely tax cuts benefiting middle and higher earners – but only short-term sticking plasters for those on the lowest incomes, the people most in need of support.

Credit: Jess Hurd

Today, we (along with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation) handed in our petition to the leaders of UK political parties in Westminster, urging them to support the introduction of an Essentials Guarantee.

By Helen Barnard – Director of Policy, Research and Impact

From this week, many people receiving social security benefits such as Universal Credit will receive a one-off cost of living payment from the government. This will provide welcome relief, but only for a short period.

Left to right: Event sponsor and Conservative MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP, lived experience speaker, Val McKie, and Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall MP. (Copyright Georgie Scott/Trussell Trust)

By Beatrice Orchard – Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager

Yesterday, we hosted an event in the House of Commons to talk about what is pushing people to food banks, and about the building blocks that are needed to end hunger for good. 

The event brought MPs together with staff and volunteers from our food banks, people with their own experiences of poverty and hunger, and our partners in the charity and business sectors. 

We want to say a huge thank you for your support in 2023.

Our Chief Executive, Emma Revie, reflects on what was an incredibly difficult year for our food banks and how important your support has been:

By Rory Weal – Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager

Chancellor’s decision to uprate benefits and housing costs will ease some of the pressures driving people to food banks – but long-term action is needed.

A new study commissioned by the Trussell Trust, and conducted by the Scottish Centre for Social Research, has provided information about the drivers of hunger among disabled people and the reasons behind the significant overrepresentation of disabled people referred to food banks.

By Helen Barnard – Director of Policy, Research and Impact

The cost of living crisis is deepening for some of those on the lowest incomes. We see this across our network of Trussell Trust food banks and in new research from YouGov which found that half of those on Universal Credit ran out of food in the last month and couldn’t afford to buy more.

In October 2022, we launched our first ever emergency appeal to help food banks facing their most challenging winter to date. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to provide emergency grants to hundreds of food banks across the UK and are now focusing on distributing the remaining funds to the food banks that need them most.

We are extremely grateful to everyone who donated to the appeal. We’d also like to thank Benefact, the People’s Postcode Lottery, Morrisons, Tesco, OVO, Sainsbury’s and Aviva for their support.

See how your donations have already made a difference below: