Nearly 1 in 6 people say they may use food bank this Christmas

16% of people in the UK say they are considering using a food bank this Christmas, according to a survey carried out by Censuswide on behalf of the Big Give.

The survey found that almost 40% of people are worried they will incur debt over Christmas, with one in ten worried about housing insecurity.

These figures rise in London, with 37% of Londoners considering using a foodbank and 56% worried they will incur debt over the Christmas period.

These concerns are having an impact on wellbeing, with the survey finding that more than 20% of people in the UK are worried about their mental health and almost half are expecting to find this Christmas harder to cope with than usual.

With these difficulties in mind, 26% feel they may need to rely on charities for essentials or support this Christmas, leading charities to expect a ‘difficult winter’.

Although many people still plan on donating to charity, 26% of people are planning to donate less this year, which the Big Give hopes to offset with their Christmas fundraising appeal, supporting over 900 charities to raise funds and matching donations made during this week.

Alex Day, Director of The Big Give, said: ‘Our study shows that, sadly, people across Great Britain and Northern Ireland are facing an imperfect storm; High fuel prices, chronic mental health problems, rising debt, loneliness and fears about Covid-19 will mean that, for many, this festive period will be a far cry from picture perfect scenes portrayed on Christmas cards.

‘Some will rely on charities which will be further and further stretched as demand grows. That is why, for those who can, supporting charities is more important than ever. Through The Christmas Challenge campaign, we are offering to match any donation made to hundreds of amazing charities through theBigGive.org.uk. That means whatever you can give will go twice as far.’

One of the charities that hopes to benefit from the campaign is The Amber Foundation, which helps young people move out of homelessness.

Paul Rosam, Chief Executive of The Amber Foundation, said: ‘For many young people, Christmas can be a particularly challenging time. Very often, young homeless people can’t be at the family home because it is not safe, relationships have broken down with their family, or simply because the family home doesn’t exist. At Amber, we provide a temporary home all year round, but our work feels all the more important at this time of year. Through the Big Give campaign, we hope to raise enough to house 28 young people through the coldest winter months and to make sure that they have a cracking Christmas in a safe, friendly and caring environment.’

In related news, Leicester City Council has been given £3.4m from the Department for Work & Pensions to set up a Household Support Fund, which will help vulnerable people pay their bills this winter.

Photo by Aaron Doucett