While some people are watching TV programmes and deciding how best to cook the feast for their family, children’s charity, Barnardo’s warns that more people are resorting to food banks than ever before.
The report issued by Barnardo’s reveals that Christmas dinner may be a food parcel for many children this year, since rising living costs and changes to the welfare system are driving increasing numbers of vulnerable families to use emergency food services. The report comes as the charity prepares to take part in ITV’s Text Santa appeal, raising funds to support families struggling financially.
The report also follows the revelation in Scotland that there has been a fivefold increase in families accessing Trussel Trust food banks.
Between 2007 and 2012, food prices rose between 19 per cent and 47 per cent. The cost of essentials such as food and fuel also increased, as benefits were cut, reducing the income of the poorest households.
“Food poverty unwrapped: When Christmas dinner is a food parcel”, a Uk-wide survey of Barnardo’s services which examines families’ growing use of emergency food schemes, finds 94% of the Barnardo’s projects surveyed reporting an increased or high demand for food banks or vouchers in the past year. You can read the full report below.
Vulnerable groups, such as care leavers and young parents, are being particularly hit by food poverty the report reveals. One project reports care leavers at College or University, who lack the parental support many other students receive, routinely skip meals to stay in education. Another reports that their work with pregnant women now focusses on ensuring they have enough to eat.
Nearly half the services reported they’d been providing Christmas dinners or parcels over the past three years, and 92% reported demand for these was increasing or high.
The charity has warned that vulnerable children may increasingly face spending Christmas day hungry. Barnardo’s Assistant Director of Policy and Research Neera Sharma commented: “It’s a tragedy that in one of the world’s richest countries, the most vulnerable families can’t afford to buy Christmas dinner for their children.
“No child should have to face an empty plate due to hardship, and whilst vouchers and food banks are crucial as a last resort to stop children going hungry, food poverty must be tackled throughout the year.
“The most vulnerable must not be punished for the rising cost of living, the UK Government can help by making sure that struggling families have enough regular income to feed their children without turning to emergency services.”
Click to access 2013-12-16-food-poverty17-December.pdf
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