Food banks are a vital lifeline to people on the lowest incomes and many of the most vulnerable within our communities. The government needs to provide and stock a food bank style service throughout the UK to ensure people are not forced into hunger as a result of coronavirus.
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Food banks fill an essential gap where our welfare system fails. The need for emergency food will surge as people claim statutory sick pay, universal credit and children who receive school meals will go hungry if schools close.
In parallel, food banks are experiencing greater pressures. Donations have fallen as people stockpile for themselves. Many are also facing closure as they have a duty to protect volunteers, many of whom are retirees, susceptible to the virus needing to self-isolate.