Stephen Morgan MP today used departmental questions to raise Trussell Trust reports that over the last year there has been a 68% increase in emergency food parcels distributed in Portsmouth, calling for greater action from the Government to tackle the cost-of-living crisis ahead of this winter.
Between April and September 2022, the charity’s city food bank gave out 6,865 parcels. Between April and September this year, there had been an increase of almost two thirds to 11,571.
Overall, the Trussell Trust network distributed 1.5 million food parcels between April and September — more than ever before in the same period, and 16 per cent more than last year.
The charity warned that low incomes, debt, health conditions, and issues with social-security payments, such as delays or sanctions, were the main reasons that people had been left with no other option but to turn to foodbanks.
Calling on the Government to take greater action to prevent more people being pushed into poverty, the Portsmouth MP asked:
“The Trussell Trust has reported a 68% increase in the number of emergency food parcels provided to Portsmouth people in just one year.
Does the Minister agree with me that more and more people being pushed into poverty is not a “lifestyle choice”, and that urgent Government action is required to tackle the cost-of-living crisis ahead of another difficult winter?”
It comes as the now former Home Secretary the Rt Hon Suella Braverman MP recently claimed homelessness and living on the streets was a ‘lifestyle choice’ made by foreign nationals, comments slammed by Mr Morgan as ‘deplorable’ and ‘out of touch.’
The Trussell Trust also reported that in the last six months 320,000 of the people who used a foodbank had done so for the first time, demonstrating that more and more ordinary families are being pushed into hardship than ever before.
Commenting following his question in the Commons, Stephen Morgan MP said:
“I am deeply concerned by the rise in emergency food parcels issued by the Trussell Trust in Portsmouth, a rise that is 6 times higher than the national average.
“It cannot be right that more and more people across our city are being pushed into hardship by this Government’s failure to effectively address the spiraling cost-of-living.
Portsmouth people deserve better than having to choose between heating their homes or putting food on their plates. That’s why I am urging Ministers to take urgent action ahead of another difficult winter.”
You can view Mr Morgan’s question and the Ministers response here. It follows the City MP’s campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit following reports by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that an additional 200,000 pensioners were pushed into poverty last year.
