Beyond the Food Bank: London Food Poverty Profile 2019

Contents

• Recommendations for action   
• Which London boroughs are leading the way in tackling food poverty in their area?   
• London food poverty in numbers   
• Actions London councils are taking to combat food poverty:
  • Develop and implement a food poverty action plan 
  • Increase the uptake of Healthy Start vouchers 
  • Support, protect and promote breastfeeding to boost the health of infants and mothers 
  • Provide high quality affordable childcare and maximise the value of children’s centres  
  • Improve the implementation and uptake of free school meals and support breakfast clubs  
  • Secure children’s access to food during the holidays  
  • Ensure all residents have physical access to good food  
  • Support and enhance meals on wheels provision  
  • Become a London Living Wage employer and promote the London Living Wage  
  • Set low minimum payments for residents qualifying for Council Tax Reduction 

View the Beyond the Food Bank 2019 league table and maps

Recommendations for action

We recommend that councils continue or take on these actions to develop a local response to food poverty and the factors that drive it.

1. Have a comprehensive plan to reduce food poverty which would include these subsequent recommendations.
2. Have a designated Healthy Start coordinator and an integrated programme of activities to increase local uptake rate.
3. Boost breastfeeding by working towards full Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation.
4. Provide high quality affordable childcare and maximise the value of children’s centres.
5. Improve the implementation and increase uptake of free school meals and support breakfast clubs.
6. Ensure that all children have access to nutritious food during the school holidays.
7. Lead on activities to improve physical access to good food by working with planners, retailers and caterers.
8. Reinvigorate provision of meals on wheels, developing a ‘more than the meal’ approach.
9. Become an accredited London Living Wage employer and contractor, champion the London Living Wage with local employers and become a Friendly Funder.
10. Minimise the burden of Council Tax payments for residents on low income.