Editorials

By Abigail Pollock

The issue of food poverty is one that is blighting Britain. From Glasgow to Grantham, families are facing extreme conditions that necessitate extreme measures. Never before have the working poor been too poor to “heat or eat” and food banks have become the saviour of two child families, struggling to make those ends meet.

The issue of food banks, and the role they play in deprived communities, is a national one but pockets of poverty, especially in London, have led to the rise of unregulated and, as some believe, suspected fraudulent food banks.

Since the economic crash in 2008, there are now an estimated 2,900 food offers in the UK. In the London Borough of Newham alone, it is estimated that there are over 30 foodbanks, clubs and cooking clubs.

The industry leaders are The Trussell Trust. They oversee the operation of at least 1,700 food-related charities. In 2024/25 they failed to return conclusive data on foodbank usage to the National Audit Office (NAO). The Independent Food Aid Network subsequently conducted research to indicate that usage went up by 25% between 2023 and 2035. 69 % of that increase was attributed to disabled people.

The highest proportion of regular users are in London where an estimated 39% of children live on or below the official poverty line. Access to Free School Meals (AFSM), has for decades been the main criterion for gauging poverty, but it is no longer considered an accurate measure of food poverty. The conundrum is that child obesity rates are rising while AFSM and Child Benefit claims are going down.

Fierce competition for food bank users

In Newham the competition for food-bank users is fierce. Poverty-stricken families are now required to register with the Council’s umbrella organisation Newham Food Alliance (NFA). After the chaos of COVID, the Council moved to regulate the supply of free food and set up stricter controls on access and food safety.

Currently the push is to move from free food banks, open to all without any checks, to requiring users to obtain a referral from a statutory agency. This is an attempt to regulate the sector and encourage accountability. Food clubs require registration and evidence of household income and residency. NFA now asks that users pay an annual fee and a small payment for each visit. Compelling foodbanks to become food clubs aims to prevent abuse of the free food offer.

A particular example is a food club based on a long narrow street in Forest Gate. It was established by a well-known businessman and Labour activist. Started during the first COVID pandemic it supplied food and other household necessities to over 5,000 people during the lockdowns. Last year it was granted a commendation by The King’s Fund.

At the time Pakistani publication Tarkeen-E-Watan described the founder as “a Visionary Leader and architect of Compassion, truly an example for the youngsters that with Hard Work, Passion, Commitment and dedication” can aspire to “Heights of Successes”. The food bank owner may also be a registered business owner in Pakistan.

It is thought to be a common practice for many Newham food organisations to source food in Pakistan and return it if unsold. There may be a danger, therefore, that food banks may be abetting, unwittingly or otherwise, the unregulated import and export of food, contrary to UK food safety regulations.

This type of food club can be contrasted with another, such as Newham’s Community Food Enterprise. Its director is Eric Samuels MBE and it was started in 2002 to alleviate food poverty. It takes a different approach. Rather than provide directly to families, it sources healthy food for youth-clubs, old peoples’ homes and schools. It is a charity, but not registered as a foodbank and takes no significant government funding. Samuels has stated “food should be a right not a privilege”

An NAO audit into the proliferation of food-offers, both free and low-cost, has now demonstrated that up to 25% of all families in East London are supplementing their budget by relying on foodbanks, furniture recycling, and free clothing organisations. With the cost-of-living biting, and the current Labour Government unable to reduce inflation to under 3%, these freebies are not a luxury but a necessity.

Food Banks causing supermarket losses and closures

The impact of “free food” on the retail economy has already begun to impact the larger supermarkets. In the last fiscal year middle range food retailers such as Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer have recorded large losses and have closed multiple locations.

In the run up to Christmas we learnt that High Street spending, although up by 3.5% from the previous year, had put 12% of the population in debt. Christmas clubs have traditionally provided toys and turkeys to the poor but there is simply insufficient disposable income to protect the profits of well-known UK brands.

Ultimately, foodbanks are a sad indictment of modern Britain. Should the fifth largest world economy be dependent on charity to feed the working poor? Has the voluntary sector become a de facto part of the welfare state? The push to build back a broken economy is supposedly in full swing. However, if the government can’t feed its people isn’t it time to bring back the British welfare state?

[Feature picture of a food bank is from Wikimedia Commons, here]