Public perceptions of UK foodbanks
Last year, more than a million people in the UK had to rely on foodbanks to help feed themselves and their families. Between August and September Oxfam commissioned Research Now to survey 1,890 people across Great Britain to find out the British public's view of food insecurity and foodbanks. Bethany Farr, Team Coordinator for our UK Policy, Programmes and Campaigns Team, reflects on the key findings.
The key objectives of this study were to better understand public opinions around food poverty in the UK. Specifically, we wanted to understand attitudes to food banks and their potential institutionalisation. We also wanted to know if people recognise food banks as a key issue and if they believe policy makers need to help reduce food bank use.
Key findings
Out of the 1,890 people surveyed:
74% think it is 'important' or 'extremely important' that the government tackles within the next 12 months, the number of people finding it difficult to afford to eat in the UK.
64% said they were 'concerned' or 'extremely concerned' about food bank usage.
73% thought that there must be something fundamentally wrong with society if people had to use foodbanks in this country.
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