Food bank support

If you’re struggling to afford groceries, you can ask for help from a food bank. They’re community organisations that give out free food to tide you over for a few days if you’re struggling to make ends meet.

How to access a food bank

You’ll need a referral for most food banks. Citizens Advice, GPs, social workers, your child’s school, housing associations and councils can all make a referral for you.

After you’ve been referred, you’ll normally be given a voucher to use at the food bank. It might only be valid for a certain day, so make sure you check.

You can then exchange your voucher for a parcel, which will typically have about three days’ worth of food. Some food banks might also be able to give you essential toiletries or pet food, depending on their stock.

If you have any allergies or dietary requirements, let the food bank know so they can make sure your parcel is suitable.

They might be able to deliver your parcel if you can’t travel e.g. if you’re sick or disabled or live in a rural area and can’t afford the travel costs.

You’ll need a new referral each time you want to use the food bank, and there might be a limit on how many times you can visit.

If you’ve already reached this limit and still need help with food, it might be a good idea to get free debt advice to see if there is other support is available.

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Where can I find a food bank?

The Trussell Trust

Most UK food banks are run by the Trussell Trust, an anti-poverty charity. They manage more than 1,400 food banks so it’s likely there’s one near you. They gave out more than 3.1m emergency food parcels last year – 1.1m of these were for children.

Find your nearest Trussell Trust food bank.

Salvation Army

There are over 650 local Salvation Army branches across the UK. Many of their churches and community centres run a year-round food bank though each centre tailors services to the needs of the local community.

The Salvation Army works in partnership with other voluntary groups and can also provide food parcel vouchers.

Find your nearest Salvation Army.

St Vincent de Paul Society

The St Vincent de Paul Society runs food banks across England and Wales. If you need help with food, you can drop into your nearest centre – email [email protected] first.

Your Local Pantry

You can shop at Your Local Pantry in exchange for a small fee each week. In return, you can choose at least 10 cut-price items of food or other groceries, saving you money on your shopping bill.

Pantries are laid out like shops with fresh, frozen, chilled and long-life products.

They’re run by local organisations, like community groups, charities, churches and councils across the UK.

Find your nearest Your Local Pantry here.

Other food banks and soup kitchens

Depending on where you live, local charities and community groups might run their own smaller food banks, pantries or soup kitchens.

Lots of religious venues like churches, mosques and synagogues also run their own independent food bank services – most of the time you don’t need to follow that religion.

You might not need a referral to get help from an independent food bank, but check first where possible. Most will have a social media page or a website with more information and some contact details if you have any questions.