The number of people in food-insecure households rose by around 2.5 million between 2021/22 and 2022/23, from 4.7 million to 7.2 million. This means 11% of people lived in food-insecure households in 2022/23, including 17% of children. 1.9 million children were in relatively low income (below 70% of median income) and material deprivation in 2022/23, 13% of children in the UK. This is up from 1.6 million in 2021/22.
The number of people of pension age picking up parcels increased by 27% to 179,000, according to the trust. The Trussell Trust says its network of 1,300 food banks distributed 3,121,404 in the year. Some 1,144,096 were for children and nearly two million for adults. The total is nearly double that of five years ago, and this is a new Record-breaking food aid distribution. The government said its cost-of-living support package had prevented 1.3 million people falling into poverty in 2022-23.
What figures say about Record-breaking food aid distribution
This factsheet reports on the number of emergency food parcels spread by food banks in the Trussell Trust network. The report includes the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 inclusive (2023/24). During this time period, Trussell Trust network distributed food parcels from 1,699 locations across the UK.
The Trussell Trust network Record-breaking food aid distribution included 3.12 million (3,121,404) emergency food parcels in 2023/24. This is the highest number of parcels that the network has ever distributed in a single year. Moreover, it represents a 4% increase in 2022/23.
The parcel distribution involved over 1.14 million (1,144,096) parcels for children and almost two million (1,977,308) food parcels for adults.
The number of parcels provided for children is mainly unchanged from the record levels seen in the previous year three. However, parcels for adults saw a 7% increase in the previous year. These figures represent an almost doubling (94% increase) in the number of parcels distributed five years ago in 2018/19. Besides, the figures are far above the levels seen before the rapid increases in the cost of living in 2021/22 (2.18 million parcels).
Food insecurity mostly harmed families
Overall, nearly two-thirds (65%) of the support provided by food banks in the previous year was for families with children. Families with three or more children are especially likely to face severe hardship. Thirty percent of parcels provided by food banks in the last year were distributed to these families.
The change in the scale of need is particularly obvious for these families. Since 2018/19, the number of parcels provided for families with three or more children has more than doubled (106% increase). However, there has been an 86% increase for families living without any children. In total, food banks’ Record-breaking food aid distribution supported almost half a million families with emergency food in 2023/24. This food distribution included 453,000 children and 745,000 adults.
Trussell‘s report examined the causes of hunger in the UK, its impact, and what type of people use food banks. Some of the headline findings of the report are:
- Disabled people make up 26% of the UK population, and 69% of people referred to Trussell Trust food banks.
- People living in social housing make up 8% of the UK population and 46% of those referred to food banks. Renters comprise 22% of the UK population and 68% of those referred to food banks.
- 89% of people referred to Trussell Trust foodbanks to receive means-tested benefits.
Food demands increasing
The Independent Food Aid Network surveyed its food banks in March 2024, and nearly 75% of respondents said they experienced increased demand from November 2023 to January 2024 compared to the same period a year before. 98% of them supported people seeking help for the first time. Citizen’s Advice Record-breaking food aid distribution helped 19,810 people. Food bank referrals peaked in January 2024, when Citizen’s Advice helped 22,452 people.
Low food security indicates that households decrease their diet quality, variety, and desirability. ‘Very low food security’ suggests that some household members occasionally disrupt eating practices. In addition, some of them decrease food intake because they lack money or other resources for food. In 2022/23, 7.2 million people, or 11% of the UK population, were in food insecure households. This figure included 17% of children, 11% of working-age adults, and 3% of pensioners.
History of food banks
Food banks first came into existence in the USA in the 1960s and now exist in many wealthy countries. The Trussell Trust extended its first UK food bank in 2000. Now it operates over half of the food banks in the country. IFAN means food banks beyond the Trussell Trust and, since 2020, has been collecting data from them across the UK. The number of food banks and emergency food parcels they record for food aid distribution has risen over time. However, there was a partial drop after the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.
The Trussell Trust records why people are referred to a Trussell Trust food bank. In 2023/24, the top reasons for being referred were:
- income or debt (71%)
- health (22%)
- issues with benefits (18%)
- change in work hours or unemployment (8%)
- insecure housing (7%)
- change in personal circumstances (5%)
- immigration status (5%)
- domestic abuse (2%)
Hunger in the UK
Based on reports, food insecurity, and food bank use are linked to rented housing and homelessness. In 2022/23:
- People living in social housing comprised 8% of the UK population and 46% of those referred to a food bank.
- Renters comprised 22% of the UK population and 68% of those referred to food banks.
- People who are homeless or who were homeless in the last 12 months made up 4% of the UK population and 34% of those referred to a food bank.
- People from ethnic minority groups referred to food banks were more likely than people from White ethnic groups (45% compared with 32%) to be homeless or have experienced homelessness.
- Men referred to food banks were more likely to be homeless or have experienced homelessness than women (37% compared with 30%).
Institutions trying to address hunger in the UK
FareShare distributes surplus food to food aid organisations and other types of charities. It started in 1994 and became an independent charity in 2004. In 2021/22, FareShare redistributed just under 54,000 tonnes of food, the equivalent of nearly 130 million meals.
FoodCycle started in 2009 to help communities set up volunteer groups to use surplus food to prepare meals for those in food poverty in their community. Its 2023 impact report stated it served 217,000 meals and opened 22 new projects in 2023.
