Help a Hungry Child: One in 10 London families relying on food banks to survive, reveals research

Emma Lewell-Buck MP says 'I can’t understand why anybody would ever want to be in charge of the country to then preside over millions of people going hungry'

It comes as Emma Lewell-Buck MP urges Theresa May to measure the exact number of people living in food poverty (Getty)

One in 10 London families are relying on charity handouts to eat and food banks are facing unprecedented strain in the run-up to Christmas, new figures reveal.

One in four London parents worry about being able to afford to feed their children, the research found, while almost one in five have to choose between heating their homes or feeding their family.

The exclusive poll, conducted by Kellogg’s to mark the start of The Independent and Evening Standard Help a Hungry Child campaign, exposed the devastating choices facing parents around the country as food banks struggle to keep up with growing demand.

At least 146,798 three-day emergency parcels were handed out by Trussell Trust foodbanks in December 2016, a 47 per cent spike compared to the average for the overall 2016/17 financial year, according to the charity. Children accounted for 61,093 of those affected.

Now the charity is warning 2017 could herald an even higher increase, following a 13 per cent surge in food bank usage during the first six months of this year.

The figures are revealed as a Labour MP urges the Government to accurately measure the number of people going hungry with a food insecurity bill.

Emma Lewell-Buck, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger, will present the cost-neutral bill to the Commons on Wednesday. It will ask the Government to incorporate questions about how often people go without food into national surveys.

She called rising food bank usage a “massive dereliction of state duty” and is urging Theresa May to take urgent action to recognise the scale of the problem.

“They have to admit what everybody already knows that the levels of hunger are far higher than we have realised,” she said.

“It is the duty of the state, there is no way food banks should have filled the gap left by the welfare state that this Government has created.”

She added: “Now food banks are becoming a pillar of the welfare state and they should not be and they should never have been.”

The South Shields MP said getting a measure on the true scale of the numbers going hungry would force the Government into taking a more proactive stance in tackling hunger.

“The mark of a country should not be the amount of people going hungry. This should not be happening in the UK, parents should not be having to skip meals to feed their children,” Ms Lewell-Buck said.

“It gets me so angry that the Government keep ignoring it, I can’t understand why anybody would ever want to be in charge of the country to then preside over millions of people going hungry.”

She added: “Fundamentally, this is the duty of the Government, this is their mess, they need to own up to it, apologise and sort it out.”

The research also found just under one in 10 London families said they wished they could give their children “more food”, while one-third of the parents questioned said they were unable to provide their children with food they believed would be healthier for them.

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said they did not recognise The Independent’s figures, adding: “We’re helping millions of families meet the everyday cost of living and keep more of what they earn.

“We’ve doubled free childcare to help parents into work, and continue to spend around £90bn a year supporting people who need it, including those who are out of work or on a low income.

“Work is the best means of providing people with financial security, and with our welfare reforms people are moving into employment faster and staying there longer than under the old system.”

The figures come as The Independent partners with The Felix Project for its Christmas appeal.

The food waste charity has already been working since 2016 to redistribute surplus in-date produce from more than 80 suppliers to charities.

The scheme will have children’s futures at its heart, helping to remove the barriers created by poor nutrition.

Every £1 donated will ensure a primary school child and their family has the food needed for a nutritious meal. £500 will enable a new school to be recruited to the programme.

YouGov surveyed 924 parents of children aged 18 or under on behalf of Kellogg’s in November.

Here are the ways you can donate to our appeal:

Call – 08000 639281 (freephone)

Text – FELIX £5 TO 70700

Click – independent.co.uk/helpahungrychild

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