Geoff Poulton, freelance tech and sustainability writer
As shops, restaurants and pubs reopen, for some people it might feel like life is slowly returning to normal. But we can see that for the UK’s 2,000 or so food banks, the real challenge may just be beginning. That might seem strange: after all, the last few months have been tough. In April there was already an 89% increase in demand for emergency food parcels compared to the same month in 2019, including a 107% rise in parcels given to children.
But this surge in demand also coincided with a significant increase in food bank donations, say Peter Taylor-Gooby and Thomas Petricek at the University of Kent. This is something we’ve also seen at Bankuet: in April, our donations rose 5,000%. Now, however, with unemployment figures rocketing and the country heading into its worst recession in decades, Taylor-Gooby and Petricek report donations have tailed off. “This indicates that public generosity is a response to the impact of the pandemic and the feeling that ‘we’re all in this together’, rather than to the needs of those who lost their jobs,” they say.
Greater need for food banks
After a tough few months, a growing number of people may be running out of financial reserves to buy essentials for themselves and their family. Between February and May this year, the number of three-day emergency food parcels given out by independent food banks nearly trebled. And in May, the number of people registering for benefits because they are out of work or on very low wages jumped to the highest level for more than 25 years.
“Food banks were very much a feature in many people’s lives before the crisis and there will be more people who need them now,” says Ann Menhinick, Treasurer of the Purple People Kitchen food bank in Brighton. “Those working in the service industries, tourism and leisure will feel it greatly. Brighton and Hove have thousands of short-term contractors, who could soon be out of funds.” Purple People Kitchen is one of many food banks Bankuet supports to ensure they can continue to assist their local communities.
Not enough help for those who need it most
Unfortunately, it’s the people who can’t afford a setback who are likely to be the hardest hit. A recent report by the Social Metrics Commission said all people in poverty had been far more likely to suffer reduced incomes since lockdown. “These results show how far we have to go to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged in society,” said the commission’s chair, Conservative peer Philippa Stroud.
The government’s recently announced ‘eat out to help out’ scheme does little to aid those struggling to afford the basics. For some, the money they receive from benefits may simply not be enough. With the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus likely to last long after the pandemic is over, food banks will be more important than ever.
Let’s do our best to make a difference.
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Bankuet helps get food banks what they need, when they need it.