Ringwood Foodbank supported the Trussell Trust’s campaign to ‘Guarantee Our Essentials,’ which calls on the UK government to reform Universal Credit to ensure that everyone can afford the essentials to get by - and help end the need for food banks, by joining more than 100 food banks from across the country who took action over the past weekend to show support for an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ and calling for the basic rate of Universal Credit to cover the cost of essentials that people need such as food, household bills, and travel costs.

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The foodbank held a day of action in The Furlong on Friday, September 9.

Chris Lee, Chair of Trustees at Ringwood Foodbank, said: “Many of our clients are on Universal Credit and the fact that so many people are coming through food bank doors demonstrates that Universal Credit simply isn’t enough to get by on. 2022/23 was our busiest year ever when we distributed over 46,000 meals. 

"We saw many clients for the first time with families with children or where a member of the family is sick or disabled particularly hard hit. As a society we need to ensure that people do not need to depend on foodbanks to be able to look after themselves and their families.”

The Trussell Trust’s research shows that 90 per cent of households receiving Universal Credit are having to go without one of life’s essentials, such as food, heating, toiletries, clothes and a phone. The Trussell Trust estimates that the core essentials cost a single person £120 a week, leaving a £35 weekly shortfall in people’s budgets, given current Universal Credit is just £85 a week.