Food bank managers and volunteers have known for years what is pushing people towards hunger in their communities, and they have been working tirelessly to support the growing number of people facing hardship who are forced to their doors. But for the first time, we now know the breadth and depth of hunger in the UK, as well its causes, impacts and who is most likely to be affected.
The headline findings of the research are shocking: 11.3 million people face hunger across the UK – that’s more than double the population of Scotland. We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and yet one in seven people face hunger because they simply do not have enough money for the essentials we all need to get by. Is this the kind of society any of us want to live in?
Beneath that headline lies a troubling picture of the extent to which women and children are on the front line of the deep wave of hardship which has been sweeping across the country in recent years. They are disproportionately likely to face hunger, and this is even more likely among specific groups like single-parent families and ethnic minority groups.
Women make up half the population of the UK (51%), but account for 57% of people facing hunger, with some groups of women at especially high risk. Across the UK, single adults living with children (the vast majority of whom are women) make up 3% of the population, but they account for 11% of people facing hunger and a fifth (20%) of those referred to food banks in the Trussell Trust network. Nearly half of all households facing hunger include children.
All of us who are parents know how deeply it bites when we’re not able to protect our children from suffering. It is just unbearable to think that millions of young people are growing up in families under insupportable pressure, unable to keep up with bills or provide the security all children should be able to take for granted.
For parents referred to food banks, the health and wellbeing of their children was a constant worry. They tried all they could to shield their children from both the material and emotional impacts of their deep financial hardship. Mothers could feel their own mental health deteriorating whilst finding it more and more difficult to protect their children’s mental health. The sense of shame of having somehow failed the family is often tangible when you speak to parents in this position.
Our research finds that the social security system is the most significant factor driving this appalling situation in families across the UK. It seems incredible that the level of Universal Credit and other benefits aren’t set with reference to the actual essentials of life, but that’s the situation. The result is that the current rate has fallen significantly below the costs of food, clothing and basic household items such as cleaning products. We have calculated that a single adult needs £120 a week to cover these expenses, but Universal Credit provides only £85.
This fundamental failure in our social security system is compounded by inequalities in the labour market. One in five people referred to a food bank in the Trussell Trust network live in working households. Across the country, 15% of people in working households have faced hunger – work is clearly not providing reliable protection from extreme hardship. But it is part-time work in particular – the majority of which is concentrated among women to enable them to balance caring with earning – which offers poor protection from hunger. A fifth (21%) of part-time workers have faced hunger, compared to just 13% of full-time workers.
In addition to fewer hours, part-time jobs are far more likely to be low-paid and are less likely to provide opportunities for training or progression to better-paid roles. Women find themselves trapped in low-paid work, for which they are often over-qualified, because they need to hold on to the flexibility so essential to maintaining family life and caring responsibilities. In addition to needing flexible jobs, childcare often poses a major barrier for women wanting to get a job and can force some to reduce their hours or even lose their job altogether.
The research shows the need for changes in the labour market, housing and in the services that should support people facing hard times. And it makes clear that an inadequate social security system is the most significant driver of food bank need. That is why introducing an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ into our social security system – a change to legislation that would ensure that the basic rate of Universal Credit is always enough for people to afford the essentials – is so vital to turning back the tide of hunger. Our research shows that achieving this is especially important for women – we must reduce the weight of poverty, hardship and hunger that is threatening to crush so many women.
We are working with more than a hundred organisations to campaign for this policy change – asking the government and every political party to commit to enacting the Essentials Guarantee. You can join the campaign here. We have also published these resources, developed with young people, to help people understand more about the impact of poverty on young people and families and share ideas on how we can tackle it together.
Twitter: @TrussellTrust
Website: https://www.trusselltrust.org/