New figures have revealed that 1284 children in Bath had to rely on food handouts between April 2017 and March 2018, and a further 2,735 adults used the lifeline service to avoid going hungry.
The Trussell Trust, who run and operate Bath’s food bank, released data that cites ‘low income – benefits, not earning’ as the number one reason for people getting referred to the food bank.
Analysis over time has shown that this is the fastest growing reason for referral, and that it significantly increased at the same time as Universal Credit was introduced.
Before Christmas, claimants would have to wait 6 weeks before receiving their first payment. Under pressure from the public, opposition politicians and the charity sector, the government altered the rules in January.
Wera Hobhouse MP said: “It’s been clear for a long time that Universal Credit is a significant factor in Bath’s food bank usage, but I’m glad we now have the figures to prove it. I have listened to so many people in my surgeries who have been seriously negatively affected by the waiting period for universal credit.
“People have gone into rent arrears, lost opportunities, and as we are seeing here, struggled to feed their kids.
“The government finally changed the procedure, but caused a huge amount of stress, anxiety and suffering for many of Bath’s residents. These figures clearly reflect this.”
Tim Harris, who head up Bath’s food bank, said: “These figures show an increase of around 33% in usage on the year before, and Universal Credit is the logical reason for this.”
Emma Revie, Chief Executive of The Trussell Trust, said: “It’s hard to break free from hunger if there isn’t enough money coming in to cover the rising cost of absolute essentials like food and housing.
“For too many people staying above water is a daily struggle. It’s completely unacceptable that anyone is forced to turn to a food bank as a result.”
Wera continued: “If you live in Bath and are struggling to feed yourself, or your kids, you don’t have to do it alone. I work very closely with the food bank, the Job Centre, and other organisations working hard in Bath to help people in difficult situations.
“Get in touch with my office on 01225 307024 and I will do my utmost to help you.”