Responding to food vulnerability

We need to ensure that sufficient resources are channelled to where it is most needed. As a first priority, our focus is on food for the most vulnerable – people on low incomes and those most at risk from infection – older people and those with certain health conditions.

Access to money

First and foremost, we are prioritising the need for people to have enough money to buy the food they need:

• Sign up to our food and vulnerability statement here, to help us reinforce with decision-makers the importance of vulnerability concerns
• Read about our concerns on food and vulnerability here, developed with several Sustain alliance members

Access to food

We are also supporting efforts to help very vulnerable people access food. Some of this involves helping existing food-aid providers to get the food, money and support they need to cope, organised via their main associations, such as FareShare, Trussell Trust and the Independent Food Aid Network.

Food banks and voluntary sector initiatives have a role, but will not be able to meet the massive increase in demand and may not anyway have suitable arrangements to help the majority of the people needing to self-isolate.

We are supporting those working on food for children – especially those in low-income households who may miss out on school meals and holiday hunger support.

We are looking at how best we can support efforts to ensure that self-isolating older people and those with certain health conditions can receive or access the food they need.

For official guidance on how to help safely, see the Government's Covid-19 coronavirus advice.