Increase in food bank use in Northern Ireland as cost-of-living crisis escalates

As the cost-of-living crisis continues, food banks in Northern Ireland are under increasing demand.

Over 61,500 food parcels were given out from April 2021 to March 2022 - that is almost 170 parcels each day on average.

The new figures from the Trussell Trust represent a 36% increase compared to the same period in 2019/2020, before the effects of the pandemic hit.

One mother talked of how she struggled to be able to afford the small change needed for the tooth fairy, and how she found it difficult to seek out and ask for help.

She said there needed to be more support.

The charity said it represents the largest increase in support provided when compared to England, Scotland and Wales.

When broken down, more than 26,000 parcels were provided for children, representing a 39% increase from 2019/20 when almost 19,000 were provided.  

Food bank managers have issued a stark warning that cuts to Universal Credit, increasing inflation and rising bills mean the cost-of-living crisis will get worse.

Recent figures show demand has jumped over the past six months with a 57% increase in those seeking support from January 2022 to February 2022 compared to the same period in 2020.

Caroline, 47 from Northern Ireland works as a classroom assistant and is also in receipt of Universal Credit. As the cost of living continues to soar, she’s worried about how she’s going to make ends meet.

Caroline said: “I am a single mum to a 10-year-old daughter. I have always worked and still do.

"However, I am now facing a really tough period trying to juggle increased household bills, my growing child needing new clothes and the possibility of needing to access food bank support.  “Imagine not having £1 in your purse when your child’s tooth falls out, imagine sitting watching your child eat whilst your own stomach grumbles with hunger as you try to stretch your food bank parcel to last as long as possible. 

"It’s not easy walking into a food bank and saying you need help. That’s why we need the government to treat people with dignity, because everyone should be able to put food on the table," Caroline added.

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The Trussell Trust says there is still time for politicians to turn this situation around with the charity calling on a 7% benefits increase so more people can afford the essentials.

The charity also highlights that crucially, the newly elected Northern Ireland Assembly must urgently bring forward action.

It is calling on any new Assembly to tackle hunger and poverty in communities with a cash-first approach.

Longer term, the charity is calling for an ambitious anti-poverty strategy that ensures everyone can afford the essentials in Northern Ireland. 

The charity is calling on all parties to commit to ending the need for emergency food and for parties to support actions to help make this happen as part of the current Assembly election campaign.

Jonny Currie, Trussell Trust network lead in Northern Ireland, said: “People are telling us they’re skipping meals so they can feed their children. How can this be right in a society like ours?

"And yet food banks in our network tell us this is only set to get worse as their communities are pushed deeper into financial hardship. No one’s income should fall so dangerously low that they cannot afford to stay fed, warm and dry. “There is still time for government at all levels to do the right thing, and ensure the incomes of people at the sharpest end of the crisis are enough to afford the essentials we all need in life. “We are calling on the UK government to bring benefits in line with the true cost of living as a bare minimum, and longer term to strengthen our social security system so no one struggles to stay fed, warm and dry.

"We are also calling for the newly elected Northern Ireland Assembly to urgently bring forward action and champion an ambitious anti-poverty strategy that ensures everyone can afford the essentials in Northern Ireland.”