Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN), has expressed alarm over a warning that food banks could struggle to meet demand this winter unless there is urgent action to tackle delayed benefit payments.
The leading charity that oversees food banks, the Trussell Trust, has reported that in areas in which Universal Credit has been rolled out for at least six months, there’s been a 30 per cent increase in demand compared to the year before.
Phil McCarthy, the chief executive of CSAN, an agency of the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, described the figures as concerning: “It is our duty to make sure that the most vulnerable don’t fall into crisis. We urge the Government to act on the problems associated with the Universal Credit roll-out to ensure that people don’t go hungry over Christmas.”
The Trussell Trust said it was on course to deliver a record number of food parcels from its 428 food banks across the UK during the current financial year. The charity revealed it has distributed 586,907 three-day emergency supplies in the six months to September – over 67,000 more than during the same period last year. More than 200,000 supplies went to children, while on average, during the past year, people needed two parcels each.
A food bank set up by Manchester Universities Catholic Chaplaincy, which gives out hundreds of food parcels every month, says it has seen an increase in the number of people in work being referred for assistance. Co-ordinator Dan O’Brien told The Tablet: “People are coming in, feeling embarrassed and saying they don’t know where the money has gone that month and they can’t believe they’re in need of help. We’re also seeing lots of children needing assistance being referred by schools and social care teams.”
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