Many people go hungry in Northern Ireland. Approximately 29% of households find themselves having to sometimes skip meals and around 7% can’t afford fresh fruit and vegetables.  

Food banks don’t prevent poverty but they’re a great deal of help if you find yourself in financial difficulty. Emergency food supplies are what prevent many from going hungry in Northern Ireland. And they’re needed more than ever. A recent report in February of 2021 found that in November 2020 alone there were 6,480 new claims to universal credit in Northern Ireland.  

That statistic is very worrying when you take into consideration the facts that, a), it’s estimated that 45% of referrals to food banks are from low-income families and people on benefits and, b), many people blame the delays and issues with the distribution of Universal Credits for one of the reasons as to why there’s a rise in people needing food banks, one site claimed.