Half a million on food aid is a national scandal
Responding to Walking the Breadline, a new report published today on UK food poverty by Oxfam and Church Action on Poverty, the Head of Policy for Child Poverty Action Group, Imran Hussain, said:
“It’s a national scandal that half a million British people are now having to turn to food aid. It’s a problem that has quickly escalated and shows that something has gone badly wrong with the safety net that is supposed to help families in need. It is particularly concerning that more and more of the families seeking food aid are actually in work, but on poverty pay and facing cuts to their tax credits.
“Without urgent action we only see the situation getting worse because the government has decided that both tax credits and safety net benefits will no longer keep up with rising prices, so more families will face the stress and stigma of relying of food aid just to give their children a basic healthy diet.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.
- CPAG is the host organisation for the Campaign to End Child Poverty, which has over 150 member organisations and is campaigning for public and political commitment to ensure the goal of ending child poverty by 2020 is met.
For further information please contact:
Tim Nichols, CPAG Press Officer
Tel: 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
Email: tnichols@cpag.org.uk
Website: www.cpag.org.uk
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