Blackburn Foodbank is backing the national Guarantee our Essentials campaign which is calling for the government to increase Universal Credit.

The number of residents using Blackburn Foodbank spiked at the end of September 2021 when the government ceased the Universal Credit uplift. This resulted in staff and volunteers providing an extra 1,000 meals in just that one month.

Blackburn Foodbank operations manager Gill Fourie said: “When the £20 universal credit ceased, demand for the foodbank immediately went up. People didn’t have the money spend on food then.”

Daisy Dumsday, communications coordinator and local organiser at the foodbank said that the wait for Universal Credit is too long and forces people to rely on foodbanks.

She explained: “We’re asking the government to ensure that our social security system provides enough for the bare essentials.

“People have to wait weeks for their first Universal Credit payment so we see a lot of people coming in during that time who are struggling.

“These are people who have just lost their jobs or are dealing with an unexpected illness in the family so don’t have anything to fall back on.”

The Guarantee our Essentials campaign, launched by The Trussell Trust in partnership with Joseph Rowntree Foundation, urges the government to increase Universal Credit to at least £120 a week.

Its key message is to build awareness and tackle misconceptions around Universal Credit as their research shows that 90 per cent of low-income households receiving Universal Credit say they have to go without essentials.

Research by the charities also reveals that the £85 weekly Universal Credit standard allowance is £35 less than the weekly cost of common essential items for a single person, “contributing to hundreds of thousands of people being forced to use food banks because they can’t make ends meet.”

To support the campaign, Blackburn Foodbank is hosting a Day of Action in Blackburn Town Centre on September 9.

There will be pop up stalls providing information and education on the government’s policies and social security system and how residents can exercise their right to vote.

To support the Guarantee our Essential campaign and write to your local MP visit here.

You can read more about Lancashire Telegraph and Blackburn Foodbank ‘No Hungry Kids This Summer’ campaign.