A mother of two has described the shame she felt when she had to use food banks to feed her children, as new figures show the scale of child food poverty in England.
Food poverty among pre-schoolers
According to a report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), nearly one quarter (24%) of households with children under five in England experience food poverty. Pre-schoolers face higher levels of food insecurity than older children.
Meg Bonnie, 21, from Nottingham, has been receiving Universal Credit since she turned 18 in 2023. She receives around £800 a month in benefits for her children, aged four and one, and has relied on food banks in the past.
Personal experience
Reacting to the new stats, she said: "It doesn't really surprise me. We've had to use the food bank a few times before or used the app Olio or Too Good To Go bags. There's definitely shame in going to the food bank. I felt quite heavily judged."
She continued: "It's a last resort for me. I've done it three times when my son was younger. I never thought I'd have to use a food bank. Food is just too expensive. My son will be on free school meals in September which I'm very grateful about. That will be a huge help."
Budgeting challenges
Meg stressed that single-parent households like hers find it harder to manage a budget, especially during the summer holidays. She said: "I think it's good during summer holidays that a lot of places kids can eat for free or a £1. We meal prep because I like to know what meals we are having and it helps with keeping a budget. I aim to spend between £50 and £70 a week on food."
"In the summer holidays, it tends to cost a bit more. I'd rather make a picnic than go out and buy food somewhere because I can't afford to be doing that multiple times a week. I've definitely noticed food prices have gone up. I used to spend between £30 and £40 a week when it was just me and my son."
"Everything has gone up. I buy the shop's own version of things, I buy the long-life milk because it's 80p over £1.90."
Government response
A government spokeswoman said: "No child can have the best start in life on an empty stomach. That’s why we are determined to reduce child poverty after years of rising hardship."
"We’ve removed the two-child limit, which will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, raised the national living wage, and put over £1billion into extending free school meals to every family on Universal Credit."
"For the youngest children we want to go further. We are consulting now on getting more funding directly to the nurseries and childminders supporting families on the lowest incomes, including help with the cost of food, and we want to hear from parents and providers before the consultation closes on 14 September."
