Today’s announcement highlights important progress for families – but this cannot be the end.
The government MUST make more plans to tackle hunger and hardship in the UK. 💚
We also need action to strengthen our social security system.
Right now, Universal Credit isn’t matched to the cost of living, and this is driving people to food banks.
We’re calling for an independent process that sets rates based on how much things actually cost.
🙏 What do we want to see?
We’re calling on the government to lift the freeze on Local Housing Allowance – and make sure that housing support reflects actual rental costs.
Without this, the government risks driving more people into hardship and homelessness.
❌ But we need to see more action on hunger in the upcoming Autumn Budget.
Food bank need is well above levels compared to 5 years ago.
Every day, our food banks speak to people who are going without essentials, like food and heating.
✅ The Chancellor recently announced to remove the cruel two-child limit.
This is huge.
It will pull 470,000 children out of severe hardship by 2027 and ease pressure on food banks.
🚨The Chancellor highlighted positive steps taken so far to tackle hunger in today’s #SpringStatement
We welcome these, but with 6.8 MILLION people facing severe hardship, the UK government must make more plans to tackle hunger in the upcoming Autumn Budget. 🧵
Row of brick houses with a flooded street in front. A news banner overlays the image stating: "Breaking News: Taking action against climate change could also help end the need for food banks." Photo credit to BBC News.
❗BREAKING: A greener future can help end hunger.
Resilient homes, green energy, decent jobs and community support can protect people from hardship driven by climate change.
Together with @friends-earth.bsky.social we're calling for a greener future that's good for people AND the planet.
What will it take to build a future where no one needs a food bank?
Our Social Change Advisor, @heather-buckingham.bsky.social asks this in her new book, A Taste for Change.
Available for pre-order now. From 17-20 Feb, Waterstones are offering 25% off with the code FEB26: https://bit.ly/4kKgc6r
Food banks are a lifeline. But they’re not a long-term solution to hunger.
Repost if you agree.
We don’t need more food banks, we need change.
Repost if you agree.
Hunger in the UK isn’t a personal failure. Its a systemic failure - one that is entirely fixable.
⚠️ JUST IN: 6.8 million people are facing severe hardship.
Research by @jrf-uk.bsky.social reveals that the cost of living crisis is far from over, with record numbers of people going without essentials like food and heating.
We NEED more action to turn the tide on hunger in the UK.
An older man seated by a window, looking contemplative, with a headline overlay reading 'BREAKING NEWS: Pensioners skipping showers and cutting back on food as millions face poverty.'
❗ Pensioners are cutting back on food, skipping showers and turning off the heating - because they have no money.
Rising food and energy costs are pushing older people to the brink, forcing many to rely on food banks.
This cannot continue.
Woman opening a refrigerator and taking out food with a headline on top. It reads: 'BREAKING NEWS: UK inflation rises for first time in five months to 3.4% in December.'
🚨 The cost of living crisis is not over yet: UK inflation is back up.
People are already struggling to survive. This will pile even more pressure onto overstretched incomes, and push more people to the doors of food banks.
Hunger in the UK ISN’T about a lack of food.
- It’s about people not having enough money to survive
- It’s about a lack of affordable housing
- It’s about low wages
- It’s about a weak social security system
What you think food banks do: provide food.
What they actually do: provide food and toiletries, listen, give advice and support with housing, mental health and social security, offer a cuppa and a biscuit, make people feel hopeful again.
This is something that we’ve been calling for, alongside food banks and organisations.
There is much more work to do – but this is a vital step towards a future where no one needs to turn to a food bank just to survive. 💚
Every day, we see how people on the lowest incomes are tipped into hardship by an unexpected cost or life event, like illness or redundancy.
Effective, early support can prevent people from falling into long-term hardship and needing to use a food bank.
So, what is the Crisis and Resilience Fund?
👉 It means that councils in England can support people at risk of needing a food bank with financial support – and be led by their actual needs.
BIG NEWS: more effective support will be given to people facing hardship from April!
The Crisis & Resilience Fund will provide financial support to prevent people from needing food banks.
This is a big step because hunger in the UK is NOT a food problem, it’s an income problem. 🧵👇
26 years ago, there were no food banks. Now, because of rising food, rent and bills, and our poor social security system there are over 1,400.
A snow-covered street with lined residential houses during a snowfall, with a car in the foreground partially covered in snow. The text overlay reads "BREAKING NEWS 'I go to bed because I can't afford the heating'".
This is a real issue that food banks are seeing across the country: people are being forced to get into bed because they can't afford to put the heating on.
Many of them are in receipt of Universal Credit.
It's time for change. Everyone deserves a warm, safe place to call home. 🏠
❗ 1 in 4 people who will turn to a food bank in our community this winter will have had almost no social contact – the food bank may be the first time they speak to someone.
Before and after images about hunger in the UK. The first image from 2019 shows a person's hand placing food into a shelf, with text saying 'How it started: Food banks set to provide over 400,000 food parcels this winter alone.' The second image from 2025 features a food bank sign against a brick wall, with text stating 'How it's going: 739,000 emergency food parcels provided last winter.'
❗There’s been a 40% increase in emergency food parcels provided over winter in the last 5 years.
Food prices have risen by 37% in the last 5 years, rents are skyrocketing, bills are crazy, and our social security system hasn’t kept up.
People don’t have enough money to live.
This is a real quote from somebody at one of our food banks...
‘Since my husband died two weeks ago, I’ve been living on Weetabix. My account was frozen, and Universal Credit hasn’t started.’
Losing a loved one is hard enough. People shouldn't have to worry about food on top of that. 💔
PSA: We expect to provide an emergency food parcel EVERY 10 SECONDS this winter.
ICYMI: Our community of food banks provided 739,000 emergency food parcels last winter alone.
That’s 40% more than 5 years ago.
£104 a week – to cover food, bills, essential travel for work or school, toiletries like shampoo and toothpaste.
That’s how much people referred to our food banks typically have to get by. It’s not enough.
‘I thought, let’s just drink water this week. I know I can survive a few days without food.’
No one should be left in a situation like this. But this winter thousands of people will be driven to the doors of food banks.
Every child deserves the best start in life and that begins with ensuring families can afford the essentials we all need to survive – like food, heating and toiletries.
