Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cost of Living: Food Bank Use

Monday 18 March 2024 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Food banks are independent organisations with no direct role from the Department for Work and Pensions in their operation.
  • The Government reports a 400,000 reduction in the number of children in absolute poverty since 2010.
  • The Secretary of State welcomed the hon. Lady to her place and acknowledged the speculation regarding the extension of the household support fund.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gen Kitchen Lab Wellingborough and Rushden
Benefits & Welfare Environment
Context

Concerns about rising food bank usage due to increased costs of living.

Question

What recent assessment has been made by the Department of potential impact of changes in the cost of living on levels of food bank use?

Answer from Mel Stride

Food banks are independent organisations, with DWP having no direct role in their operation. We do, however, monitor the use of food banks through the family resources survey, and the next instalment of that will be later this month.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The government's lack of a direct role in managing food banks was highlighted rather than providing an assessment.

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Q2 Virendra Sharma Lab
Economy Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

Concerns about the high number of people using Ealing Foodbank, with nearly half being children under 16.

Question

Nearly 50,000 people needed help from Ealing Foodbank last year. Some 38% were children under 16. What are the Government's plans to reduce dependence on food banks?

Answer from Mel Stride

This is the Government who have overseen a 400,000 reduction in the number of children in absolute poverty since 2010. Despite the chuntering from the Opposition Front Bench, unfortunately the figures were far worse under the last Labour Government than they may be at the moment. The hon. Gentleman asks directly what we are doing. We are again putting up the national living wage by substantially more than inflation this April. The Chancellor has already brought in national insurance cuts that will be worth £900 to the average earner. Benefits themselves are going up by 6.7% next month. We have also changed the arrangements for local housing allowance, which means that 1.6 million people, many of whom are on very low incomes, will be better off by an average of £800 a year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer provided statistics about poverty reduction but did not directly address plans to reduce food bank dependence.

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Q3 Gen Kitchen Lab Wellingborough and Rushden
Housing Benefits & Welfare
Context

Concerns about the Household Support Fund's eligibility criteria not meeting needs despite its extension.

Question

While on the campaign trail, I met the Daylight Centre and SERVE Rushden. Both have seen their service users increase in number, even with the extension of the household support fund, which they both welcome. What can the Secretary of State do to expand the eligibility of the fund, improve uptake and increase the value of the healthy start payment?

Answer from Mel Stride

May I welcome the hon. Lady to her place? In answer to her question, I will simply point out that there was much speculation before the spring Budget about whether the housing support fund was going to be extended. In my opinion, the Chancellor took exactly the right approach, and the fund has now been extended for a further six months.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer provided information on extension of the fund but did not address expanding eligibility or increasing value.

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Q4 Kirsty Blackman SNP Aberdeen North
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Research revealing that over half of universal credit claimants ran out of food and fell into debt.

Question

Research from the Trussell Trust reveals more than half of people receiving universal credit ran out of food and could not afford more, with 2.4 million falling into debt due to essential bills. Will the Secretary of State commit to legislating for an essentials guarantee in universal credit?

Answer from Mel Stride

The most important thing is that this Government recognise that the best way out of poverty, and the best way to address the circumstances that the hon. Lady describes, is through work. That is why the Chancellor reduced taxation, making work pay ever more, and why the national living wage is to be increased by close to 10% this April, following a similar increase around this time last year. Benefits are going up by 6.7% and increased by 10.1% this time last year. I have already mentioned local housing allowance, and of course we have now had eight consecutive months of real wage growth as inflation has fallen.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer discussed work incentives but did not commit to legislating for an essentials guarantee.

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