Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the potential demand on (a) food banks and (b) voluntary organisations supporting communities to tackle food poverty over summer 2021.

No assessment has been made.

Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. There is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level.

Since 1 December, the Covid Winter Grant Scheme and the Covid Local Support Grant have provided Local Authorities in England with additional funding to support families and individuals who are struggling with the cost of food and essential utility bills as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. On 21 June we extended this temporary scheme for a final time with an additional £160 million in funding through 30 September, taking total funding under the scheme to £429 million. This brings the end date for this scheme past the lifting of restrictions, supporting families who might need additional help to get back on their feet as the vaccine rollout continues and our economy recovers. As part of this extension, the City of York Council has been allocated £392,216, taking total funding since 1 December to £1,051,874.54.

This year, we are also investing up to £220m in the Holiday Activities and Food programme which has been expanded to every Local Authority across England. Participating children will benefit from a range of support, including a healthy and nutritious meal as well as fun and engaging activities during the Summer and Christmas holidays in 2021. We also increased the value of Healthy Start Vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25 in April.