Oral Answers to Questions

Virendra Sharma Excerpts

Monday 18th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Jo Churchill]

We always take these matters very seriously and keep them under full review.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

7. What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on levels of food bank use.

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mel Stride)]

Food banks are independent organisations, with DWP having no direct role in their operation. We do, however, monitor the use of food banks through the family resources survey, and the next instalment of that will be later this month.

[Mr Sharma]

Nearly 50,000 people needed help from Ealing Foodbank last year. Some 38% of them were children under 16. It is amazing that the food bank and its volunteers are there to help, but it is a national shame that it is needed. What are the Government’s plans to reduce dependence on food banks?

[Mel Stride]

This is the Government who have overseen a 400,000 reduction in the number of children in absolute poverty since 2010. Despite the chuntering from the Opposition Front Bench, unfortunately the figures were far worse under the last Labour Government than they may be at the moment. The hon. Gentleman asks directly what we are doing. We are again putting up the national living wage by substantially more than inflation this April. The Chancellor has already brought in national insurance cuts that will be worth £900 to the average earner. Benefits themselves are going up by 6.7% next month. We have also changed the arrangements for local housing allowance, which means that 1.6 million people, many of whom are on very low incomes, will be better off by an average of £800 a year.