Even food banks are struggling now
FOOD bank use in the UK has increased by more than a third since the start of the pandemic. Not only has the economic fallout of the virus left many families needing additional support, but the highest rise in the cost of living for 30 years has deepened the crisis further.
The impact will not be felt equally. For some it will barely register, for others it will mean difficult decisions about what to cut back on, and for others still it will be more profound and even lifechanging.
For those most unfortunate it will force impossible choices between essentials such as putting food on the table and keeping the heating on. It will also sharpen the fear of the unexpected outlay that can trigger a debt spiral from which there is no escape. One estimate suggests lower-income households will face a drop in income of as much as £1,300 this year.
This is no longer a crisis for those who aren’t in work. Stagnant wages at a time of inflation means people in full-time jobs are also finding it tough to make ends meet. There have been reports of Welsh nurses, who were among those who heroically put themselves in harm’s way during the pandemic, having to use food banks to feed their families.
And let’s not forget the damage Brexit has done in making this task even more difficult. A report by the London School of Economics’ Centre for Economic Performance said Brexit-related trade barriers have driven a 6% increase in UK food prices, adding to the squeeze on consumer spending power.
Reverend Dean Roberts, who runs The Parish Trust, has seen these problems first-hand. His food bank in Caerphilly has become so in-demand that people are queuing out the door for emergency parcels. He admitted that a wider cross-section of society was now coming to the charity to ask for help, and he added that he was frequently having to console those who felt they had nowhere else to turn.
The system is failing. In the 21st century we should not be seeing such vast volumes of people requiring the most basic of human needs. The UK Government says it is helping through the energy bills Rebate and cutting £150 from council tax bills for those living in bands A to D. The Welsh Government has also announced measures. But this clearly isn’t enough.
We’re now in a position where even food banks themselves are finding it tough to continue running their services. It’s a disgraceful situation.