Advertisement

  1. National

Welfare reforms 'behind food poverty', warn major charities

Changes to the benefit's system are "a driver of food poverty" with 20 million meals claimed by people at risk of going hungry in Britain last year, a report from three major charities found.

View all 3 updates ›

Government must 'accept mistakes in policy'

The Government must "accept where mistakes in policy and practice are being made" if the surge in food bank use is to be tackled, a major report into food poverty recommended.

The Below The Breadline report said:

The Government must first commit to really understanding and monitoring the true scale of this problem, then set out ambitious steps to tackle it.

This will require a willingness to accept where mistakes in policy and practice are being made, and put in place measures to repair the social safety net.

It will also mean taking steps to ensure that people have decent, secure jobs so that they can earn their way out of poverty and to tackle the rising cost of living.

This will mean visionary policy making; but if these issues are not addressed, many people are going to continue to struggle.

– Below the Breadline

More top news