Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of trends in levels of foodbank usage in Surrey since 2020.

The Department does not hold information on levels of foodbank usage in Surrey.

The latest statistics on food bank usage including data at a national and regional level can be accessed here Children in low income families: local area statistics - GOV.UK and are available on Stat-Xplore Stat-Xplore - Home.

We are committed to tackling poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. To inform this work, DWP officials have engaged with a range of organisations to better understand the complex food support landscape.

We also continue to provide substantial funding to Local Authorities to support those most in need and extended the Household Support Fund by a further year until March 2026, providing funding of £742 million in England.

Through the Spending Review, we have announced £842m per annum to reform crisis support. This includes the first ever multi-year settlement to transform the Household Support Fund into a new Crisis and Resilience Fund, incorporating Discretionary Housing Payments and funding to ensure the poorest children do not go hungry outside of term time.