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FOOD banks have become an “inevitable” feature of the coalition government’s austerity Britain, experts warned yesterday.
New research reveals the number of people using them is soaring with “large numbers of people thought to be at risk of malnutrition in the UK.”
Dr Kingsley Purdam led the research by Manchester University’s school of social science.
Dr Purdam said: “In political and media debates food bank users have been variously described as being ‘opportunists,’ ‘not able to cook or budget’ and ‘living like animals.’
“Yet evidence from the Citizens Advice Bureau suggests that the main reported reason for referring a person to a food bank was a delay in benefit payments.”
His survey included investigating the extent of the growth of food banks, and interviews with people about what drove them there.
He identified that in one North West city there are seven Trussell Trust food banks, and a further thirty other food aid providers.
He also found that substantial numbers of people are skipping meals to prioritise their families.
Mr Purdam added: “The research suggests that people using food banks have a clear understanding of the costs of food and are limited in how they could change their financial circumstances.
“Many people were reluctant to use a food bank because of the stigma and embarrassment.
“Grandparents and parents reported skipping meals so their children could eat, and also stated that they were not able to afford to have their children’s friends around for tea.”
