A WIRRAL organisation is supporting a national campaign urging the government to make sure Universal Credit covers the cost of essentials like food, heating and toiletries.
According to Wirral Foodbank, a single adult over the age of 25 receives £93 per week, which is estimated to be £30 per week below what is needed to cover essential costs.
Research from Trussel, which runs more than 1,400 foodbanks nationally, shows that the basic rate of Universal Credit should be least £120 a week to address what it calls a 'significant gap that now exists between the level of support people receive and their living costs'.
A spokesperson for Wirral Foodbank told the Globe: "A large problem is that the standard rate of universal credit that claimants receive is too low. The income you receive simply doesn't match the cost of living. It is no surprise that over 15,112 people had to turn to Wirral Foodbank for help last year."
The charity sees many people struggling to survive on the current rate of benefits, often having to choose between heating and eating.
Highlighting a particular case, the spokesperson said: "We recently supported one man who had to access the food bank for the first time because he was struggling financially. He had not eaten for days and told us that he was going to cancel his internet.
"He had chosen to pay his energy bill over other essentials, such as food and toiletries, however, this was causing him real hardship."
The spokesperson continued: "Everyone’s circumstances can change. Losing your job, needing to care for a sick family member, breaking up with your partner – these are things that can happen to any of us.
"However, levels of income offered by our social security system, including Universal Credit, do not provide an adequate safety net for people who need it".
Wirral Foodbank's community organiser and campaign manager Beth Saunders, who used to work on Trussell’s 'Help Through Hardship' national phone line said: "The only time that there wasn’t a constant queue of people calling up for a food bank voucher was when the Cost of Living Payments came out".
The Government has committed to reducing foodbank usage and promised to ‘reform Universal Credit’ in their manifesto.
Wirral Foodbank has launched a campaigning group called 'Wirral Community Foodbank Campaigners'. It consists of around 10 people who are getting organised to take action on issues that drive people to need the food bank.
It held a campaigning event at Birkenhead Townhall last year, inviting Wirral council and local MPs to learn about our campaigns and to share stories from people who have had to use the food bank.
You can read more about the campaign here
To get involved in the project on Wirral, contact communityorganiser@wirralfoodbank.org.uk
