Food Banks

Sometimes we may be struggling to manage things at home and we may need to have the help of a food bank.  

It can be uncomfortable asking for advice and guidance but alot of schools do offer support to families and may even have food bank facilities on site or be working with organisations like FareShare who are a the biggest food charity in the UK who work with a number of schools.  

According to recent reports from the Trussell Trust, food bank use has increased at least 13% in the last year.

Around 14 million people in the UK are living in poverty and Universal Credit has had a huge impact on the lives of people with a low-income, with food banks experiencing an average 30% increase of demand in areas of full Universal Credit roll out.

How do I get a Food Bank referral:

Information from the Citizens Advice website:

Start by looking online to see if there are any independent local food banks that you can go to without a referral. If there aren't any, you'll need to be sent by someone else. For example by a charity or someone like a GP or social worker.

A good place to ask for a referral is your nearest Citizens Advice. 

Tell them you need the food bank - they'll probably make you an appointment to discuss your situation with an adviser.

The adviser will ask you some questions about your income and needs. 

For example, if you need the food for just you or your whole family. If you're eligible for the food bank, they'll tell you how to get food.

You can ask the adviser about other local help you could get and to check if you should be getting any benefits you're not currently claiming.

Further information on local Food Banks below: