South Cotswolds MP calls income inequality a ‘national disgrace’ as food insecurity worsens
A third of food bank referrals in the area are people in work
The MP for the South Cotswolds is calling on the government to remove the two-child benefit cap.
It comes as the South Cotswolds Food Poverty Report 2024/25 revealed that more than 1,500 food parcels were distributed to children by local foodbanks.
The cap was introduced by the Conservatives and has been retained by the current Labour government.
Roz Savage, MP for the South Cotswolds, told Greatest Hits Radio: “I find it really a national disgrace that we are the ninth most unequal world in the developed world when it comes to income.
“This hits children especially hard. If they can’t get access to decent food as children when their brains are forming then it affects their ability to concentrate in school, they’ll be more disruptive, they’re less likely to do well academically and that is just storing up more trouble for the future.”
In total, organisations across the South Cotswolds distributed more than 3,500 emergency food parcels in the last year.
The report also found that more than a third of referrals (37%) were first-time foodbank users and that almost half of all referrals (47%) were linked to serious health issues.
'Not just food poverty'
While 70% of referrals came from women, single-adult households were more likely to be men.
“Food poverty is not just food poverty. If you’re struggling to pay for your groceries, you’re probably also struggling to pay for your heating, for your rent, for the kids’ school uniforms and for all the rest of it”, Roz Savage added.
“I think a lot of people think that the South Cotswolds is quite affluent and on the surface, as you’re driving through our beautiful villages, it does look that way, but as somebody who has knocked on a lot of doors around here, I know that there are a lot of families who are living in real hardship.”
The MP is urging the government to scrap the two-child cap, reverse PIP changes, increase school funding, and invest in affordable housing.
She is also pushing for more integrated local support, including basing Citizens Advice staff in food banks.
The model has been tested in Cricklade and resulted in a significant drop in repeat visits.
“No one in work should need a food bank,” she urged.
“Our communities are strong, but they need a government willing to act.”
A Government spokesperson said: “This Government is determined to change people’s lives for the better, helping them out of poverty and tackling the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence in recent years.
“We are reforming the broken welfare system we inherited so we can get people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting those who need it most.
“As part of our Plan for Change we are launching 750 breakfast clubs across the country, providing a £1 billion crisis support package and making changes to Universal Credit to give a £420 boost to over one million households.”