Monday 16 December 2013
Why are there Food Banks in Elmbridge?
On Friday,
I joined Hugh Bryant (from the Cobham Methodist Church), local sponsors and volunteers to launch a new food bank in Cobham. It is
our third in Elmbridge. But, why, in such an affluent borough, has demand for food
banks risen?
The first thing to say is that,
although average wealth in Elmbridge is high, it’s not true for everyone,
everywhere. For too long, the last Labour government manipulated the Whitehall funding formula in ways that neglected pockets of real need in
Elmbridge.
Still, demand
for food banks is rising locally and nationally. One relevant reason is that the
coalition removed the bar on job centres referring people to food banks. Referrals
predictably rose. Beyond that change, we have seen a steady rise in reliance on
food banks since the 2008 recession.
The Trussell
Trust, a national charity that supports local food banks, states there are two
main causes. First, rising global food prices. The special interests and
protectionism that led to the collapse of the World Trade Organisation Doha
round of talks played a major part. Agricultural protectionism hurts the
poorest countries the most, and hikes food bills for people in the UK, by an
estimated average of £400 per family per year. The European Union remains one
of the most protectionist trade blocs. I have long called for reform.
Second, the
Trussell Trust also points to changes in household income. Benefits changes have
made a difference, mainly because they can risk a temporary gap in welfare
payments, where claimants aren’t familiar with new rules. Government needs to
get information out more clearly on this.
More
broadly, low paid homes are feeling the pinch. The government is taking a range
of measures to ease the struggle. As a result, many factors have got better since
2010. There are more jobs, lower inflation (which eats away at disposable
income), more affordable homes (albeit still not enough), and greater prospects
of economic growth in the years ahead. Critically, household debt is down 9% since
2009. And we are taking two million of the lowest paid out of income tax altogether.
That’s all important progress, but we’ve still got a long way to go to get the UK economy
out of the woods, and ease the pressure on the cost of living. In the meantime,
I pay tribute to the inspirational civic spirit that is getting behind our
local food banks in Elmbridge.
Dom joins local volunteers, Nicki, Martine and Maria
for the launch of the Cobham Food Bank
for the launch of the Cobham Food Bank
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