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Wales Online
7 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
More than 16,000 food parcels were handed out by foodbanks in RCT last year
More than 16,000 food parcels were handed out by foodbanks in RCT last year Data shows that 16,634 emergency food parcels were provided between April 2024 and March 2025 with 5,793 of them going to children One of the Rhondda foodbank sites in East Road, Tylorstown (Image: Google ) More than 16,000 emergency food parcels were given to people facing hunger by food banks in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) in the last year. A total of 16,634 emergency food parcels were provided between April 2024 and March 2025, with more than 5,793 of them being for children and annual figures from Trussell show 60,158 emergency food parcels were given out across Wales, which it said should be a 'wake-up call' for the UK Government to strengthen the social security system and rethink cuts to welfare which risk forcing more people into having to use food banks. RCT has seen a slight decrease of 7.7% in the number of emergency food parcels distributed compared to last year but it has seen persistently high levels of need over the last five years, and a 30.2% increase when compared with the same period in 2019-20. A spokesperson for the food bank networks said: 'Although we have seen a slight decrease in the number of parcels distributed, far too many people in our communities are still going without the essentials. 'We hear constantly about the struggles facing people at risk of hunger and hardship, and we need urgent action from the government to ensure everyone can a foodbank to survive. Pontypridd Foodbank, Rhondda Foodbank, Merthyr Cynon Foodbank, and Taf Ely Foodbank are part of the Trussell community of food banks, which has reported persistently high levels of need in the last 12 months, with almost three million (2,885,086) emergency food parcels provided to people facing hardship across the UK between April 2024 and March 2025. Article continues below More than a million of these parcels were provided for children. To get all the latest news on Welsh politics, health, education and other issues, sign up to our newsletter here. The food banks say everybody should have enough money in their pockets to put food on the table and are calling on the community to play their part to help end the need for emergency food in the UK. Emma Revie, chief executive of Trussell, said: 'Far too many children, families, disabled people, working people, and elderly people from across RCT needed to access food banks for emergency food in the past year. This should be a wake-up call to the government and a stark reminder of its responsibilities to the people of RCT. 'A whole generation has now grown up in RCT where sustained high levels of food bank need feels like the norm. 'The community has teachers, doctors, and healthcare professionals now routinely referring people to food banks as part of their day-to-day jobs, showing how emergency food has sadly become a fixture. If you can, please play your part and help change this.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'This government is determined to change people's lives for the better, helping them out of poverty and tackling the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence in recent years. 'We are reforming the broken welfare system we inherited so we can get people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting those who need it most. 'As part of our Plan for Change, we are extending the Household Support Fund, launching 750 breakfast clubs across the country and making changes to Universal Credit to give a £420 boost to over one million households.' People can donate food or funds to or Article continues below
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Keir Starmer issued 'crossroads' warning after food bank use skyrockets
Food bank charity the Trussell Trust joined The Division Bell podcast to emphasise the urgent need for the government to act in response to increasing levels of poverty Food bank charity the Trussell Trust joined The Division Bell podcast to emphasise the urgent need for the government to act in response to increasing levels of poverty The government is at 'a crossroads' as food bank provision has skyrocketed over the last five years, according to the leading food poverty charity. The Trussell Trust has provided 2.9 million emergency food parcels in the last year - a 51% increase since 2020. Since Labour slashed the welfare budget in March, 250,000 people in the UK risk being pushed into poverty including 50,000 children. Sumi Rabindrakumar, Head of Policy at Trussell, knows this far too well as in the past 12 months alone over one million parcels have been provided for children. Ms Rabindrakumar said: 'The Government needs to choose now to decide whether it's going to change course because otherwise by the end of this parliament realistically we're going to see food need rising. If you look at the cuts on the horizon in social security, inflation and high costs not really showing signs of easing, we can't see that this situation is going to get better.' Speaking on the Division Bell podcast, the policy expert emphasised the charity's 'priority [is] for the government to pause and reflect and rethink on the cuts to disability support.' 'Three in four people who come to Trussell food banks are disabled or who live with someone who is, there isn't a situation where these cuts are anything other than devastating," she said. After Keir Starmer 's U-turn yesterday regarding making more pensioners eligible for winter fuel payments, Ms Rabindrakumar said: 'They have to make a decision about which way they go down because the decisions they make over the next year are the ones that will have an effect by the end of this parliament. You can't turn it around overnight. They need to start making a change now.' The welfare bill is expected to be cut by approximately £5billion a year. Around 370,000 people currently receiving welfare could lose out after changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP). 'PIP isn't an out-of-work benefit,' Ms Rabindrakumar explained, 'work isn't at the moment a reliable enough route out of hunger and hardship.' 'About one in five people who are referred to Trussell food banks are in work. We know that that in itself isn't going to be enough to move people out of deep poverty. That's the reason why the social security system is so vital. It provides protection for people who have to take lower-paid work to afford the essentials, put food on the table, afford clothes, afford their energy bills and so on.' Ms Rabindrakumar emphasised that the welfare cuts 'affect us all' because severe levels of hardship have many impacts including 'driving up negative impacts on people's health, by pushing people further from work, that affects our public services, it affects our economy, it affects public finances. These cuts don't just have a cost to people, it affects us and costs us all.' To hear more about the UK's reliance on food banks, Mr Starmer's U-turn and the inside scoop on Westminster, be sure to listen to this episode of The Division Bell wherever you get your podcasts.
Pembrokeshire Herald
21-05-2025
- General
- Pembrokeshire Herald
St Davids RNLI duck race returns this bank holiday
Trussell Trust warns of 'wake-up call' for government as 60,000 parcels go to children MORE than 170,000 emergency food parcels were distributed across Wales last year by food banks in the Trussell Trust network—equivalent to one every three minutes. The charity says the scale of demand is a damning indictment of a broken welfare system and is calling on both the Welsh and UK governments to act urgently. Of the 171,673 parcels issued between April 2024 and March 2025, over 60,000 were for children. That figure—60,158—represents a 16% increase in child food parcels compared to five years ago. While the total number of parcels issued in Wales has fallen slightly—down 9% from the previous year—the Trussell Trust says need remains 'persistently high' and warns that the situation for families is worsening. The number of parcels going to households with children has risen by 19% since 2019/20, with a notable 8% increase for children under five. Many food banks are now reporting 'heartbreaking' levels of hardship. Some parents are skipping meals to feed their children, while others are opening food parcels and eating immediately upon receiving them. Andrew Butcher from Taff Ely Foodbank said: 'We are witnessing a significant and growing number of individuals and families turning to our food bank for support—all struggling to afford the essentials. Sadly, food donations are not keeping pace with this increasing demand. 'No one should have to rely on charity to eat. While we remain committed to pushing for systemic change to eliminate the need for food banks altogether, community support remains vital.' According to Trussell, over 420,000 people in Wales now face hunger and hardship. Disabled people remain disproportionately affected: three in four households referred to Trussell food banks report having at least one disabled member. The charity is urging the next Welsh Government to commit to ending the need for emergency food as part of a wider anti-poverty strategy. This includes investment in affordable housing, improved access to employment and childcare, and a 'cash-first' approach to financial crises. Trussell is also calling on the UK Government to update Universal Credit to ensure all households can meet basic living costs. It has criticised proposals to cut disability benefits, warning such changes could push even more people into hardship. Jo Harry, Trussell Trust's Network Lead in Wales, said: 'Thousands of children, families, disabled people, and older people across Wales relied on emergency food in the past year. A generation has now grown up seeing food bank use as normal. 'With Welsh elections less than a year away, all political parties must take a stand and commit to reducing the need for food banks. 'Ending hunger must be a priority if we want to improve public services, grow the economy, and build a better Wales.' Members of the public can support local food banks by donating food or funds. To find out how many food parcels were distributed in your area, visit:
The National
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Food bank usage is down in Scotland, but ministers say there's more work to do
Food insecurity campaign group Trussell (formerly Trussell Trust) published their yearly figures on Wednesday, revealing an 8% dip in the number of UK families using food banks following last year's record high — but whilst Scotland has followed the downward trend, the total amount is still higher than pre-Covid levels. Trussell reported that 239,503 food parcels were distributed in Scotland in 2024/25, a decrease from almost 265,000 in 2023/24, but still sitting slightly above the number reported for 2019/20. READ MORE: MPs urge Westminster to follow Scotland's lead on free period products The Social Justice Secretary for Scotland, Shirley-Anne Somerville (below), said: 'We know that many people are still struggling as a result of the cost of living crisis and we are doing everything we can to support them — including through the Scottish Child Payment which is forecast to benefit the families of over 330,000 children in 2025/26. 'It was encouraging to see a 10% drop in the number of parcels distributed by Trussell food banks in Scotland between April 1 2024 and March 31 2025 compared to 2023/24. This shows our policies are working. However we know there is more to do. 'However, our efforts are continuing to be held back by the actions of a UK Government which is keeping in place policies like the two-child limit and is pushing 250,000 people into poverty with its cuts to support for disabled people.' Trussell provided further insights into growing food bank usage, highlighting a stark increase of 51% compared to figures from five years ago. A statement from the group read: 'Our new annual figures show that almost three million emergency food parcels were provided by food banks in our community to people facing hunger in the past year – equivalent to one parcel every 11 seconds. 'Families with children under five have seen a 32% rise over the past five years. This should be a 'wake-up call' for the UK Government to strengthen the social security system and re-think cuts to disability payments that risk forcing more people to food banks.'
STV News
21-05-2025
- General
- STV News
Nearly 240,000 emergency food parcels delivered to Scots in last year
Nearly 240,000 emergency food parcels were handed out by a charity to Scots facing hardship last year. The Trussell Trust said that about half of them were for households with at least one child. Some 239,503 food parcels were given to those in need between April 2024 and March 2025 – the equivalent of one parcel every two minutes and double the amount provided a decade ago. Trussell said the proportion of parcels going to families had increased by 111% compared to ten years ago, with 140,221 delivered over the last year. The charity, one of a number of organisations that operate food banks, said its staff were now reporting levels of hardship that were 'heartbreaking'. It said some parents were forced to ration their own food to ensure they could feed their children, while others were in such desperate need they opened food parcels and ate before leaving the food bank. Overall, the figures represent a 10% dip from the previous year in Scotland, but Trussell warned the need for emergency food is 'persistently high'. It has warned the UK Government not to go ahead with its plans to cut billions from the welfare budget, mostly from a crackdown on those receiving disability benefits. It said that disabled people were already overrepresented at food banks, with three in four people referred to Trussell reporting that at least one member of their household has a disability. Trussell warned the proposals could push more people into hardship. It also called for the Scottish Government to take action, including uprating the Scottish Child Payment to £40. Cara Hilton, policy manager in Scotland at Trussell, said: 'Thousands of children, families, disabled people, working people, and older people from across Scotland needed to access food banks for emergency food in the past year. 'A whole generation of Scots have now grown up in a country where sustained high levels of food bank need feels like the norm and this should be a massive wake-up call to both the Scottish and UK Governments and a stark reminder of their responsibilities to the people of this country. 'The recent programme for government was a missed opportunity to take the bold action and change we need to see in Scotland if we are to turn the tide on hunger and hardship. 'The First Minister has rightly put eradicating child poverty at the heart of his government's programme, but this ambition and commitment needs to be matched with action and at scale. 'At UK level, the Westminster Government will fail to improve living standards unless they row back on their harmful policy choices on disability benefits otherwise, they risk leaving a legacy of rising food bank need. Addressing hunger and hardship for both governments must be a priority.' The Scottish and UK Governments have been approached for comment. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
