Millions of universal credit and disability benefit claimants turn to food banks: 'I'm terrified of cuts'

More than three quarters of people claiming universal credit and disability benefits have gone without essentials such as food and heating in the last six months, new research has revealed.

Charity Trussell, which runs the largest network of food banks in the UK, found that more than two in five (43%) claimants had skipped meals to keep up with other essential costs in the last three months.

Meanwhile, nearly one in five (19%) of universal credit and disability benefit claimants have been forced to turn to a food bank in the last month.

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Sumi Rabindrakumar, head of policy and research at Trussell, said the statistics are “heartbreaking” and show that “universal credit and disability benefits are failing to cover the cost of living”.

“This should not be the case in one of the richest countries in the world,” Rabindrakumar said.

It comes after reports have suggested that the government is planning to make billions of pounds of cuts to benefits in the chancellor’s Spring Statement.

Ministers have said for months that they want to slash the welfare bill and support more people with health conditions into work – but while the plans for increased employment support have been broadly welcomed, charities fear that cuts would lead to increased poverty in the UK.

“We agree with the UK government that disability benefits urgently need reform. But balancing the books cannot come at the expense of people already having to survive on incredibly low incomes, and people with physical and mental ill health conditions,” Rabindrakumar said.

“Disabled people are far more likely to need support from a food bank, which likely reflects that life costs more for disabled people, with additional costs like therapies, treatments, specialist kit to help with day-to-day activities  and paid care to think about on top of food, bills and toiletries.”

A quarter (25%) of universal credit and disability benefit claimants have been unable to afford pain relief or other over the counter medication in the last three months, according to Trussell.

And more than a third (37%) said they had not been able to keep their home warm enough this winter.

One claimant told Trussell: “I’m terrified the government will stop or cut disability benefits and if they do, I can’t bear to think of the outcome.”

Just over half (52%) of people claiming universal credit were pessimistic about their financial situation over the next year. Meanwhile, 58% said the Labour government is doing badly at improving living standards for people in their situation.

Two in five (37%) claimants were behind on bills, with 28% behind on gas or electricity in particular.

Rabindrakumar said: “Welfare and disability benefit cuts risk pushing even more people to the doors of food banks. Many disabled people are terrified of the prospect of cuts to disability benefits, which are already not enough to live on. If the UK government is committed to its promise to end the need for emergency food, it must address underlying barriers to work and flaws in our social security system.

“It must also commit to creating an ‘essentials guarantee’ which would ensure everyone can at the very least afford the essentials we all need, such as food, bills and toiletries – not whip away lifelines from people who need them most.”

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