Parents 'skipping meals' to feed children and situation 'only set to get worse'

The Trussell Trust, which runs a network of centres in the West Midlands and Staffordshire, said it expected more people to slip into financial hardship as inflation continues to hit hard.

It today revealed just short of 100,000 food parcels were given out in parts of the West Midlands and Staffordshire over 2021/2022.

The statistics showed almost 60,000 adults were handed the emergency help whilst almost 35,000 youngsters also received a package across the region.

The total number of packages given out in our region was 94,367.

Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “People in the West Midlands are telling us they’re skipping meals so they can feed their children. That they are turning off essential appliances so they can afford internet access for their kids to do their homework.

“How can this be right in a society like ours? And yet food banks in our network tell us this is only set to get worse as their communities are pushed deeper into financial hardship. No one’s income should fall so dangerously low that they cannot afford to stay fed, warm and dry.”

The charity released a breakdown of the number of food parcels handed out in each part of the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

It showed that Sandwell and Birmingham were areas of particular need as families found it increasingly difficult to cope.

Figures from the charity showed Birmingham had the highest number of people receiving a food parcel across the region with 35,238 overall including 16,081 for children.

In Cannock Chase, there were 6,658 food parcels overall with 2,755 for children. In Lichfield, it was 5,971 overall including 2,527 for children. In South Staffordshire it was 351 overall with 155 for children.

Sandwell administered 22,182 parcels with 9,602 for children, whilst Walsall had 3,999 overall with 1,819 for children, and in Wolverhampton there was only five food parcels administered overall during the period, with charity chiefs revealing it is based in a school and likely only supports referrals from pupils and their families within the school.

And in Wyre Forest, it was 3,882 overall and 1,505 for children. Elsewhere, Shropshire had 9,405 food parcels overall with 3,411 for children. There were no figures available for Stafford, Dudley, or Telford & Wrekin due to there being no centres there.

Ms Revie added: “There is still time for the UK government to do the right thing. We are calling on the UK government to bring benefits in line with the true cost of living. As an urgent first step benefits should be increased by at least seven per cent, keeping pace with increases in the cost of living.

“In the longer term, we need the government to introduce a commitment in the benefits system to ensure that everyone has enough money in their pockets to be prevented from falling into destitution.

“By failing to make benefits payments realistic for the times we face, the government now risks turning the cost of living crisis into a national emergency.”