This letter was delivered to 10 Downing Street by representatives of the Trussell Trust, Feeding Britain and the Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) on Monday 17.10.22.
Dear Prime Minister,
End the need for our services – charitable food aid is not the solution to financial hardship.
We run, volunteer and work in many of the thousands of food banks, food pantries, food clubs, social supermarkets, soup kitchens and community kitchens in communities across the UK.
Over the last decade, increasing numbers of people have been pushed to the doors of food banks and other charitable food aid providers because they haven’t got enough money to buy food and other essentials. Since the cut to Universal Credit in October 2021 and the deepening cost of living crisis, the need for charitable food aid has steadily increased, reaching unprecedented levels.
People who were already unable to afford food are being hit the hardest by relentless rises in energy, food, and travel costs. Every day we meet people who are skipping meals so they can feed their children and turning off their cooker or fridge so they can cover other essential costs. People who used to donate to food banks are now needing to seek our support. And the next 12 months look bleaker still.
Many of our teams are struggling to cope as demand for our support outstrips our food and financial donations and we are forced to make difficult decisions about how we operate. We are overstretched and exhausted. Many of our organisations are at breaking point.
No-one should have to turn to charity to feed themselves and their families.
You have the power to reduce the need for our services.
As our new Prime Minister, we call on you to take urgent action to end the need for charitable food aid by ensuring everyone has enough income, from work and social security, to buy the essentials.
Yours sincerely,
3,007 signatories working or volunteering with charitable food aid providers operating across the UK