Food Poverty in the UK: A Report

Food Poverty Legislative Report.pdf

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With renewed focus on the cost of living crisis across the UK, and some controversial comments in recent weeks from certain Conservative MP’s regarding food poverty and food banks, it’s sometimes hard to discern fact from fiction when discussing the state of food poverty in the UK.

As such, I felt it necessary to separate the lies from the truth of food poverty and I’m delighted to say that Lord John Bird, author and co-sponsor of the ‘Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill’, allowed me to research the current state of food poverty within the UK to help complement his Bill and provide vital insight to what needs to be done to quash this national embarrassment.

Indeed, as part of the ‘future generations’, it is vital that we create lasting and effective legislation that ensures that no one should go hungry: legislation that doesn’t force the single mother to steal or the young couple to beg.

The research detailed in my report focussed on what is currently being done and what more needs to be done within the context of ending food poverty. In the report, I focused on three branches key in the fight against food poverty: central government, local government (with a case study on Cambridge, the most economically inequitable city in the UK) , and the charity sector.

The results give a stark warning regarding the road the UK is currently on with respect to food poverty. From 2013 to 2021, there was a 177% increase in those receiving emergency food parcels, with the total number being distributed rising from around 900,000 to over 2.5 million over the same period, while the number was much closer to zero in 2010.

The reasons for this increase are detailed in the full report but some of the primary reasons can be seen from the nature of the four recommendations from the report. Firstly, it is recommended that an overarching food poverty prevention strategy with a full cross party parliamentary and lords committee is introduced. Secondly, given the 37% decrease in funding from central government to local government since 2010 (Institute for Government, 2022), it is recommended that funding levels are increased to help local government combat food poverty more readily. Third, it is recommended that the national living wage, minimum wage, and welfare payments are adjusted for inflation on a quarterly basis to help keep up with the cost of living and that those aged 18 and over should automatically qualify for the national living wage. Finally, the report calls for a more comprehensive education strategy pertaining to life skills, including food nutrition and cooking skills.

Food poverty can effect anyone: one job loss, one bill hike too far and it could be you using a food bank. Volunteering at your local food bank is a wonderful place to start to learn more and help those in need.

Not too much of my usual effortless humour here but I do hope you give it a read! The PDF of the full report can be found at the top of the article.