PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Universal Credit (9 March 2020)

Question Asked

What assessment her Department has made of the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on referrals to food banks.

Asked by:
Taiwo Owatemi (Labour)

Answer

The Department does not keep official statistics on food bank use, so no such assessment has been completed.

There are many reasons people use food banks and their growth cannot be linked to a single cause.

Some food aid providers produce statistics on the number of food parcels distributed, but the Government has no plans to require individual food banks to keep records, as this would place a significant burden on charitable organisations.


Answered by:
Will Quince (Conservative)
9 March 2020

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