Autumn statement: Budget leaves foodbank managers and other community figures worried about a tough winter

The Autumn Statement on Thursday saw a range of tax rises announced, but with some help announced such as pegging pensions to the rate of inflation and increasing the minimum wage by almost £1 an hour.

But people helping those at the sharp end say that will not improving things greatly and will continue to see residents feel squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis.

Claire Johnson, the Hub and Community Team Leader at Waypoint Church in Titchfield Common, said: ‘There are a number of users just so concerned, they are already really struggling. The number of people we have seen not turning their heating on has gone up. The thing we are really seeing is a change in what people are taking. They are not wanting to put ovens on, for example, they would much rather cook using the kettle or the microwave. There are going to be so many extremely worried.’

The Waypoint Church’s foodbank, which is becoming part of the Trussell Trust network, helps on average 130 households a week through a foodbank and a pantry. Claire said this week there have been 12 new referrals already, with most for the foodbank.

She added: ‘People who have never needed a foodbank or who would never have thought they would need a foodbank are finding themselves in that situation.

‘We’re seeing a big increase in in-work poverty. People who are working but on minimum hours, minimum wages are now needing to turn to foodbanks.’

Speaking about the minimum wage rise, Claire added: ‘A lot of people are actually limited in the number of hours they can actually work so a pound an hour if you’re doing 16hrs a week is £16 a week extra, in the grand scheme of things, with the way prices are going up, it’s not a lot.

‘We do four supermarket shops a week and we are saying every week, “that’s gone up again”. We track prices and some basics have gone up 10p in a month. So that’s going to have a knock on-effect with what people are able to give too.’

The Rev Canon Bob White from St Mary’s Church in Portsea is a board member of The Hive in Portsmouth, which helps those in need.

He said: ‘People are concerned about how we are going to get through the next few months, particularly those people on low income or benefits, particularly those people who are beyond the benefits cap. People

who are not on benefits but are not really earning enough to cope with the impact of what’s going on.

‘The needs are great and there will always be a need for more support than what’s being provide. We are dealing with people who are still dealing with the experience of the last two and a half years and the

pressures and challenges that’s created. There are some real underlining issues with mental health and wellbeing that also need to be addressed. It’s not just dealing with the finance or the fuel or the hunger

but the deeper issues people are having to live with.’

‘I fear it getting worse. There is a fear amongst a lot of people that things will get more difficult before they improve.

‘Anything that can be done to help is good and welcome. My real worry is that, are we really addressing the underlying issues for people’s wellbeing and support in their day to day living?’

‘There was a fear at one point that benefits wouldn’t rise with inflation so there are crumbs of comfort, not large meals but crumbs.’

Louise Mills, who is part of the North End Pantry at North End Baptist Church, said: ‘We are seeing our numbers just go up and up. People are really struggling at the moment and people are really worried about not only their food but their heating. They are worried about turning their

ovens on to cook. Last year we would see 80 families a week, we are now seeing 160.’

Jim Campbell from the Friday Fridge at St Jude’s Church in Southsea, which gives people free food and shelter Friday evening, said: ‘We’ve gone from seeing about 20 people to regularly seeing about 40 people’ (since last year).

‘We are seeing more hungry people, more people not able to afford food and more people who are homeless than we did a year ago. We saw number rise sharply during the pandemic, then they dropped and now they are probably back to the pandemic levels.

‘Most people we see are on benefits, most of them have seen a real-terms cut in their benefit and in some cases an actual cut in benefit and that’s a worry.’

‘We have seen over the last couple of years the rules get tougher and people being stripped of benefits they used to have. There are more people being denied benefits because they don’t fall within the criteria.’

‘The fact that we were talking about before not increasing benefits with the last Prime Minister was going to be a disaster. This is not a 10 per cent increase, it’s a holding ground increase. It’s not a pay rise for people

on benefits. Benefits are already quite low and it’s just keeping up with where they were. Universal credit is an absolute disaster for a lot of our people.

‘Give the support that people need, we see people with mental health issues who are not getting mental health care. It’s not a matter of giving money to people, that doesn’t work. It is a matter of giving support and there has been a massive erosion in support. People would have had social worker, that doesn’t happen any more. They would have had mental health support, that doesn’t happen as much as it should. People who are homeless don’t have a big voice so they get ignored.’