The Trussell Trust warns that food banks across the UK are preparing for yet another winter of extraordinary pressure, expecting to distribute a food parcel roughly every ten seconds in the coming months.
Newly released data shows that nearly 740,000 food parcels were delivered nationwide last winteran increase of 40% compared to pre-pandemic figures. Around 266,000 of these parcels were allocated to children, representing one in three parcels and marking a 29% rise over the same period.
The most dramatic growth, however, was seen among people aged 65 and older. This group received approximately 24,000 parcels last winter, a staggering 202% increase over the past five years.
According to the charity, soaring prices for essential goodssuch as food, rent, and energycontinue to outpace household incomes, leaving more families unable to meet basic needs as winter approaches.
Alicia Mehaffey, a single mother from Northern Ireland who works as a care assistant, says her Universal Credit payments still fall short of covering her expenses. During the holidays, you want to make the season special for your family, but when youre struggling to pay for essentials, a proper Christmas dinner feels impossible, she said. She began relying on the food bank while pregnant, explaining that the rising cost of baby necessities left her with nowhere else to turn.
Trussells research indicates that 14 million adults in the UK are currently skipping meals because they cannot afford food. Energy debts have also doubled in the past five years, reaching 4.4 billion by the end of June. With need rapidly accelerating, 58% of Trussell-supported food banks say preparing for this winter is proving more difficult than ever as demand outstrips donations. Last winter alone, these centres spent an estimated 3.5 million purchasing food.
Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who chairs the work and pensions committee, said the data shows that poverty has become a daily reality for far too many families. No one should be dependent on a food bank to get through the week, she said, urging long-term strategies that tackle the underlying causes of financial hardship.
TV presenter and Trussell supporter Carol Vorderman reflected on her own childhood, recalling the extreme poverty her family endured. She warned that countless households will face the festive period under immense strain, with parents sacrificing meals so their children can eat.
Sophie Carre, the Trussell Trusts director of engagement, emphasized that food banks provide more than emergency foodthey offer compassion, guidance, and a sense of dignity during crises. She noted that tens of thousands of families are expected to seek help for the first time this winter.
A government spokesperson responded by acknowledging that food bank usage remains a serious national issue. They cited recent measures aimed at easing financial pressures, including increases to the National Minimum Wage, energy bill assistance, and the decision to scrap the two-child limitchanges the government says will help lift over half a million children out of poverty by the end of the current parliament.
