A West Belfast councillor has expressed concern as food bank usage has spiked over half-term.
Cllr Paul Doherty operates Foodstock, a community solidarity hub on the Andersonstown Road. He said over half-term, as schools were off for Halloween, referrals to their food bank were up around 300%.
He said such demand was "nothing we've ever experienced" and can be linked to the scrapping of holiday hunger payments in Northern Ireland, with such payments ending on March 31, 2023.
Read more: NI Energy supplier announces 4% tariff increase
Read more: Urgent response needed amid claims rough sleeper numbers in Belfast have tripled
Looking ahead to the Christmas period, which is typically busy in their food bank, he said it's shaping up to be another difficult winter for families.
Cllr Doherty said: “Given the massive pressure facing families our food bank is always busy, but last week was like nothing we’ve ever experienced. With kids off school and missing out on school meals we saw a massive increase in referrals of 300%, with the generous support of local businesses and donations we were able to ensure that everyone was supported, but this would be totally unsustainable in the longer term.
“This sudden spike during the school holidays is clearly linked to the lack of support for parents and the decision to axe holiday hunger payments. Free school meals are a vital lifeline for many families in this community and when that safety net is removed some families face a real struggle to put food on the table.
"We already provide 3,000 free breakfasts to school in this area a week and I’m deeply concerned that the real need will be even higher and that people will be suffering behind closed doors with the potential for kids going hungry.
“We’ll do everything we can to support people, we are lucky to have a fantastic team of volunteers and supporters who give selflessly to step up and help people where government has failed. Christmas is by far the busiest time of year for us and it looks like it’s going to be a really difficult winter for many families who have been repeatedly failed.”
Click this link or scan the QR code to receive breaking news and top stories from Belfast Live. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
English (United States) ·