General Food bank data

➔ 2.99 million people used food banks in 2022-231

➔ Getting referred- ask GP, organisations, social worker
➔ The average weekly income of households at food banks is only £50 after
paying rent
◆ One in five have no money coming in at all in the month before
being referred for emergency food
◆ 94% of people at food banks are destitute.2
➔ Food banks are having to buy groceries at high prices because
donations fail to meet demand from families in need. The Trussell
Trust said 13% of food in emergency parcels was bought, whereas
before the pandemic it was all donated.3

Poverty increase in Christmas- heating, bills etc

➔ Two-thirds of adults are worried that they will not be able to afford
Christmas dinner, according to a survey.29 Nov 20224
➔ Some 16% are planning to use a food bank to get items for their
meal, while 38% are likely to skip meals if they have an unexpected
expense such as a broken boiler5

1 Attwell, C. (2017). What Are The Best Supplies To Donate To Foodbanks This
Christmas. [online] My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes. Available at:
https://www.myfussyeater.com/what-are-the-best-supplies-to-donate-to-foodbanks-this-
christmas/#:~:text=Non%2Dperishable%20tinned%20and%20dried
%20foods&text=Given%20the%20time%20of%20year [Accessed 3 Nov. 2023].
2 https://www.turn2us.org.uk/. (n.d.). More people than ever are using foodbanks.
[online] Available at: https://www.turn2us.org.uk/about-us/news-and-media/latest-
news/more-people-than-ever-are-using-food-banks [Accessed 3 Nov. 2023].
3 BBC News. (2023). Food banks forced to buy groceries due to shortages. [online]
Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65574441# [Accessed 3 Nov.
2023].
4 Sky News. (n.d.). ‘It’s going to be terrible for me’: Two-thirds of adults worry they
cannot afford Christmas dinner. [online] Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/two-
thirds-of-adults-are-worried-they-will-not-be-able-to-afford-christmas-dinner-this-
year-12757668#:~:text=Rising%20costs%20and%20stagnating%20wages
[Accessed 3 Nov. 2023].
5 Sky News. (n.d.). ‘It’s going to be terrible for me’: Two-thirds of adults worry they
cannot afford Christmas dinner. [online] Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/two-
thirds-of-adults-are-worried-they-will-not-be-able-to-afford-christmas-dinner-this-
year-12757668#:~:text=Rising%20costs%20and%20stagnating%20wages
[Accessed 3 Nov. 2023].
 ➔ The average cost of heating a home in the UK is typically around
£400 – £500 per month. 6

Food banks donation rate/usage in colder months

➔ ‘89% of organisations saw in increase in demand comparing December

2022/January 2023’7
➔ The most recent increase is due to the cost of living crisis.8
➔ There are just under 1,400 Trussell Trust food banks in the UK, in addition to
at least 1,172 independent food banks. 9
➔
➔ The Trussell Trust, which runs a network of food banks across the UK, is
forecasting that 600,000 people will need support between December and
February.10
➔ ast winter, the charity supported more than 220,000 children, with 225,000
people using food banks for the first time11

6 pLuMR_398 (2021). How Much Should Your Average Heating Bill Cost Per Month. [online]
Plumr. Available at: https://plumr.co.uk/how-much-should-your-average-heating-bill-be-per-
month/#:~:text=Average%20Cost%20to%20Heat%20a.
7 Pratt, A. (2023). Food Banks In The UK. [online] House of Commons Library. Available
at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8585/#:~:text=In
%20February%202023%2C%20the%20Independent,period%20in%20the%20previous
%20year. [Accessed 3 Nov. 2023].
8 Pratt, A. (2023). Food Banks In The UK. [online] House of Commons Library.
Available at:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8585/#:~:text=In
%20February%202023%2C%20the%20Independent,period%20in%20the%20previous
%20year. [Accessed 3 Nov. 2023].

9Pratt, A. (2023). Food Banks In The UK. [online] House of Commons Library. Available
at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8585/#:~:text=In
%20February%202023%2C%20the%20Independent,period%20in%20the%20previous
%20year. [Accessed 3 Nov. 2023].

10 SecEd. (2023). Food poverty warning: Schools bracing for a difficult winter ahead
Food Banks Trussell Trust. [online] Available at:
https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/content/news/food-poverty-warning-schools-bracing-for-a-
difficult-winter-ahead#:~:text=Schools%20are%20bracing%20for%20the [Accessed 3
Nov. 2023].
11 SecEd. (2023). Food poverty warning: Schools bracing for a difficult winter ahead
Food Banks Trussell Trust. [online] Available at:
https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/content/news/food-poverty-warning-schools-bracing-for-a-
difficult-winter-ahead#:~:text=Schools%20are%20bracing%20for%20the [Accessed 3
Nov. 2023].