Food banks face winter surge as record six parcels a minute to be delivered in festive season
Leading provider Trussell has warned that food banks are facing a winter record-breaking demand, predicting they will provide a food parcel every 10 seconds in the coming months.
Almost three-quarters of a million (740,000) food parcels were distributed to people in the UK last winter, according to new figures released by the charity; This figure is up 40 percent from pre-pandemic levels.
In the same period, 266 thousand of these (one in every three parcels) were given to children, an increase of 29 percent.
But researchers found the biggest increase was in people 65 and older. This group received 24,000 food parcels last winter; This is a 202 percent increase compared to five years ago.
Trussell warned that the rising cost of essential goods meant demand would only continue to rise this winter. As expenses such as food, energy and rent continue to rise relative to incomes, fewer and fewer households can afford the things they need.
Alicia Mehaffey is a single parent from Northern Ireland who works as a care assistant. His income is boosted by Universal Credit but it is not enough to cover his bills.
“During the festive season, you want to do everything possible to make sure your family can have the best Christmas. But when you’re trying to cover basic needs, being able to have a big dinner on Christmas Day feels like a pipe dream,” he said.
“I started using the food bank when I was pregnant with my daughter. Being a parent comes with a lot of added pressures, like the cost of baby food, nappies and toiletries. The food bank has been an absolute lifesaver. I don’t know where I would be without it.”
In September, Trussell found that 14 million adults were going without food because they couldn’t afford it. Meanwhile, energy debts have more than doubled in the last five years, rising to £4.4bn by the end of June.
In the face of this pressure, more than half (58 per cent) of food banks in Trussell say it is harder than ever to prepare for this winter as the level of need outweighs donations. Last winter – between December 2024 and February 2025 – these banks spent an estimated £3.5 million on food.
Labor MP Debbie Abrahams, chair of the work and pensions committee, said: “No one should have to rely on the foodbank to get through the week.
“This data shows that for many families poverty is becoming an everyday reality rather than an exception, with the Trussell Foundation expecting to provide a food parcel every 10 seconds. If we are serious about equality, we must be serious about tackling the widespread inequalities that push people to the brink in the first place.”
“Supporting our most vulnerable is not only a moral obligation, it is a measure of who we are as a society. In my constituency of Oldham, almost two fifths (38 per cent) of children under 16 live in poverty and that’s why I welcome the Government’s removal of the two-child limit.
But we must continue this work and seek long-term preventive solutions that address the root causes of challenges, not just the symptoms, and ensure everyone has the dignity, stability and opportunities they deserve.”
Presenter and Trussell supporter Carol Vorderman said: “Christmas is the hardest time of the year for people on the lowest incomes who are already struggling to make ends meet.
“When I was growing up in the 60s my mother was a single parent and I grew up in abject poverty in North Wales, a challenge that is still with you. This year too many people will spend the festive period worrying about being sick, skipping meals so their children can eat and unsure of how they will cope.”
Sophie Carre, Trussell’s executive director, said: “Christmas should be a time of joy and celebration, but so many people will struggle to make ends meet this winter. Tens of thousands of families will be forced to turn to a foodbank for the first time because they are exhausted, isolated and do not have enough money to get by.
“Food banks offer more than just emergency food; they provide hope, dignity and relief to people facing hardship. They welcome people warmly, connect over a cup of tea and offer advice that will reduce the need for people to return to the food bank.”
A government spokesman said: “Foodbanking is a disaster for the country and although it has decreased in the last year we are determined to do more.
“We’ve increased the National Minimum Wage to help with day-to-day costs, meaning an extra £1,500 a year for full-time workers, while we’re also getting £150 off energy bills from April and reconnecting to Triple Lock.
“We will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament, thanks to our decision to lift the two-child limit and introduce a broader package of measures for families.”
