A campaign calling for a reform of Universal Credit has been backed by Lichfield Foodbank.
The Guarantee our Essentials initiative is aiming to ensure everyone can afford what they need to get by, as well as ending the need for food banks.
The facility in Lichfield has joined more than 100 across the country who are taking action to show support for an “Essentials Guarantee” and calling for the basic rate of Universal Credit to cover the cost of essentials that people need such as food, household bills, and travel costs.
Verity Ashley, chair of Lichfield Foodbank, said:
“We are seeing more and more people plunged deeper into poverty and coming through the doors of food banks.
“In the last 12 months we provided 11,588 emergency food parcels to local people who couldn’t afford the essentials – 4322 of these were provided for children.
“These statistics are reflective of the picture across the UK as the Trussell Trust recently announced that their network – of which we’re a part – distributed almost three million emergency food parcels between April 2022 and March 2023. This is the highest number on record.
“In our food bank, the majority of the people that we support are in receipt of Universal Credit, including many who will also be in work. Right now, Universal Credit is not providing enough to cover the costs of life’s essentials, such as food, household bills or travel costs.”
Verity Ashley, Lichfield Foodbank
People can find out more about the Guarantee our Essentials campaign at a stall in Lichfield city centre on Saturday (9th September).
Representatives from Lichfield Foodbank are urging people to go along and sign a petition on the issue.
“The Trussell Trust estimates that to afford even these core essential costs a single person £120 a week – however, the basic rate of Universal Credit is just £85 a week.
“This is already too low, yet people needing to use our food bank can have up to 25% of that deducted to repay debts, such as advance payments and budgeting loans from the Department for Work and Pensions.
“We’re proud of the work that we’re doing to help meet the needs of our community, but we don’t want to exist. We believe everyone should have enough money to be able to afford to buy food and other essentials.”
Verity Ashley, Lichfield Foodbank
