Demand for food banks in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire nearly doubles in four years

Demand for food banks in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire is continuing to rise.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

New figures from the Trussell Trust show that 15,144 emergency food parcels were handed out in the county between April 1 and September 30 this year.

Of those, 5,258 were given to children.

Over the same period in 2018 13,136 emergency food parcels were distributed, while in 2015 the figure was 8,239.

Demand for food banks in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire is continuing to riseDemand for food banks in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire is continuing to rise
Demand for food banks in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire is continuing to rise
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Trussell Trust, which runs seven food banks in Peterborough, is calling for politicians of all parties at the General Election to pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for the basics.

The charity said there has been soaring food bank use across its UK network with 823,145 emergency food parcels distributed in the last six months, almost half of which went to children.

The main reasons for people needing emergency food across the UK, it said, are for benefits consistently not covering the cost of living (36 per cent) and delays (18 per cent) or changes (16 per cent) to benefits being paid.

The Trussell Trust’s chief executive Emma Revie said: “More people than ever before in the East of England are being forced to food banks’ doors. Our benefits system is supposed to protect us all from being swept into poverty, but currently thousands of women, men and children are not receiving sufficient protection from destitution.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This is not right. But we know this situation can be fixed - our benefits system could be the key to unlocking people from poverty. This General Election, all political parties must pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for the basics.”