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There are hundreds of thousands of parents turning to food banks Support your family despite paid work, new research suggests Cost of living continues to rise In Britain.
About a quarter (23 percent). working parents A survey by The Felix Project found that food assistance services were used in the past year. If this is applied at the national level, this figure could be equivalent to approximately 1,725,000 parents.
Of these parents, an increasing number in four are turning to the food bank every one or two weeks. They say they are struggling to feed their children.
The findings are the latest reminder of the rising cost of essential goods that millions of people across the UK are struggling with. It follows leading food bank provider Trussell’s estimate earlier this month that it would Providing a food parcel every 10 seconds This winter.
Rachel Ledwith, head of communities at The Felix Project, said: “This is a sobering picture; to have evidence that children are going hungry on a weekly basis is heartbreaking and to know that without food banks so many working people would go hungry shows the need we are facing in every part of society.”
Food redistribution charity’s survey of 4,000 working people Guardian also got:
- 10 percent of Guardian they had to send their Children sleeping hungry at least once a week
- 9 percent of parents have to send their children to school at least once a week despite knowing that they are hungry
- 67 percent of parents who use food assistance are concerned that their children are aware of the family’s financial issues
Edith is a single mother from South London who lives with her 16-year-old son. Despite working at school five days a week, she says the rising cost of essential items means she is using food Bank Every Wednesday.
She says this means she doesn’t have to skip meals herself, adding: “But as a parent, I buy less things for myself, live without things because ChildrenTo be honest, this service is really helping me get by – I don’t know what I’d do without it,”
“I’m not doing any Christmas shopping. I’m not buying gifts, because I don’t want to get into debt. So, my kids, they know Mommy isn’t going to buy them anything tangible. We celebrate Christmas, but they don’t expect any gifts because there aren’t any. Wealth To buy it”
Naik, who runs a food bank, says the service is becoming the norm for so many children: “We still see a lot of people on benefits and pensioners, but more working people are coming to us.
“They are doing everything they can, but salaries and bills are not keeping up and they have no choice if they do not want their children to go to bed hungry – which sadly they are. I am not surprised to see these figures and would expect many food banks across the country to be in the same situation,” he says.
Research In October the Living Wage Foundation found that more than half of Britain’s low-paid workers are forced to regularly skip meals.
Findings from the Felix Project support this, with the proportion of parents turning to food banks increasing by almost a third (30 per cent) when parents’ income is £25,000 or less.
A government spokesperson said: “Food bank use is a stigma for the country and although there was a reduction last year, we are committed to doing more.
“To help with the cost of living we have increased the National Living Wage to £900 a year for a full-time worker from next year, and will take £150 off average energy bills from April.
“Thanks to our decision to scrap the two-child limit and introduce a comprehensive package of measures for families, we will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament.”