03 March 2023 , 17:00
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A fifth of Brits have “benefitted” from foodbanks or meals which have been donated, according to research seen by the Mirror.
A study lays bare the scale of hunger gripping Britain as families battle the cost-of-living crisis and soaring food prices.
Latest figures show grocery price inflation has surged to 17.1% - adding £811 to households’ annual bills.
A One Poll survey reveals 19% of 2,000 UK adults questioned said they had “benefitted from the use of a foodbank or free food at donation points to feed themselves and their family”.
Fifteen per cent had even asked friends or family for food, while 19% had taken second jobs to try and make ends meet in the living standards crisis.
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Some 31% of parents skipped breakfast to ensure their children have enough to eat.
Cost of living pressures have been squeezing household budgets (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The research was commissioned by Quaker Oats, which is working with charities FareShare, Magic Breakfast and Groundwork to provide up to 2.5 million breakfasts.
The Mirror told this week how FareShare was piling pressure on the Government to stump up cash so more surplus food could be handed to needy families.
The charity’s director of food Simon Millard said : “While our food partners are doing everything they can to get us surplus food, the equivalent of almost seven billion meals worth of food goes to waste every year that could be redistributed through FareShare to those that need it most.
“Like us, the charities and community groups we support are clearly worried that they may not be able to meet the extra demand caused by the cost-of-living crisis - much of it coming from young people, families and those in work; people who have never had to use these services before.”
Campaigners called on the Government to produce an “anti-hunger strategy” to tackle the crisis.
Feeding Britain director Andrew Forsey said: “Joe Biden has published an anti-hunger strategy for America, and these figures show just how urgent the need is for a similar plan in Britain.
“Rishi Sunak has spoken of his desire to see fewer people needing to use foodbanks, and we now need firm action to address the drivers of that need.”
Magic Breakfast chief executive Lindsey Macdonald warned: “With many families struggling, the number of children at risk of hunger is only growing.”
Struggling Brits have been pushed towards foodbanks (Ray Woolford)A Government spokesman said: “Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – which is why we are leading the global effort to reduce food waste with a commitment to halve it by 2030.
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“We continue to support WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme charity) in their delivery of initiatives to help businesses measure and act on their food waste, and have helped redistribution groups – such as Fareshare – with nearly £13million of funding to get surplus food to those who need it.
“Together, this action will help drive down the levels of food unnecessarily going to waste.
“We are also providing substantial help to households, with the first of five Cost of Living Payments – worth £301 – hitting bank accounts from this Spring.”
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