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Vale Foodbank usage up by more than 26%

Wednesday, 4 March 2026 at 14:41

By Nathan Spackman

The Vale Foodbank has seen usage increase by more than 26% during February, compared to the year prior.

The shocking figure comes after figures show a 14% increase in demand in January 2026.

The Vale Foodbank has 8 distribution centres across the county, existing to support people in crisis rather than providing longer-term support.

The charity says that people generally only turn to them for help when things have got so bad that they are no longer able to afford to put food on the table.

The charity says that the growth patterns are broadly reflected across all groups, with the biggest surge in demand coming from people aged 45 to 54 with school-aged children, and families reliant on benefits such as PIP disability support.

The biggest reason the charity has seen for needing a voucher is that incomes are not keeping up with the rising cost of living, linked to other reasons, including a rise in debt burden.

A standout group, supported by the charity, are those households with three or more children.

A spokesperson for the charity said, "As much as inflation has slowed in recent months, food prices remain high and continue to rise. The recent escalation of hostilities in the Middle East will undoubtedly have an impact on fuel costs, and that does not just affect people who drive"

"Many of the daily staples we buy in our weekly shop are flown in from providers overseas and are distributed to the shops on the back of trucks. An increase in fuel costs therefore, will inevitably cross over into food prices and these people who are already unable to keep up with rising costs will find themselves becoming more and more squeezed in the near future."

"Urgent action is needed to negate the effects of this ticking time bomb, which is affecting ordinary people who live among us."

You can find out more about the Vale Food Bank at https://vale.foodbank.org.uk/

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