60% of Hackney Foodbank visitors have long-term health condition
New data released by Trussell reveals a fifth of UK households have run out of food and been unable to afford more in the past year.
That national picture is echoed here in Hackney, where people with disabilities and families with children are among those worst off.
Pat Fitzsimons, CEO of Hackney Foodbank, said: “With rents here in Hackney over £1,000 higher per month than the national average and wages and benefits failing to keep track, our food bank is one of the busiest in the UK.
“Over 60% of our visitors have some kind of long-term physical or mental health condition and almost a third are families with children. Our caseworkers regularly see people whose benefits aren’t enough to guarantee the basics they need to be able to live with dignity. We urgently need the UK government to act.”
According to the research (carried out by Ipsos on behalf of Trussell), nine million people across the UK have so little to get by on, they are at risk of needing a food bank. 12% were forced to turn to loans or borrow from friends or family to meet their children’s needs and one in 12 parents have had to skip meals so their children could eat.
Pat added: “There’s a lot of wealth in Hackney but poverty here is through the roof. People in our community are missing meals and living in cold, unlit homes because they can’t afford their energy costs. We’ve women here who can’t afford sanitary products and people taking on impossible debt to survive. The very people our society should be supporting are being let down.”
Trussell’s research shows housing costs are a major driver of hunger and hardship. More than half of private renters (54%) receiving Local Housing Allowance to help pay their rent have run out of food in the past year and been unable to afford more.
In Hackney, the average cost of renting a two-bed flat on the private market is £2,489 (according to the Office for National Statistics), while Local Housing Allowance (LHA) here is just £412.86 per week. The wait-time for a Local Authority home is around 15 years here.
LHA rates were last linked to actual rents in April 2024 and have been frozen ever since, while rents have continued to rise.
Trussell is urging the Prime Minister to renew Labour’s manifesto to promise an end to the need for emergency food. They want his first Budget to ensure housing support for people on the lowest incomes actually meets the cost of renting a home.
To support Hackney Foodbank, visit https://www.hackney.foodbank.org.uk/donate
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Editor’s Notes:
Hackney Foodbank is a stand-alone charity within the Trussell network. As well as providing emergency food for people who would otherwise go hungry, the charity offers caseworker support to visitors, helping them on to better situations. The food bank supports an average of 624 people each week. 70% of visitors come up to three times per year.
For further information, or to arrange an interview, contact Jenna Fansa on 07812 245118