MORE than 16,000 emergency food parcels were given to people facing hunger by food banks in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) in the last year.
A total of 16,634 emergency food parcels were provided between April 2024 and March 2025, with more than 5,793 of them being for children.
New annual figures from Trussell show 60,158 emergency food parcels were given out across Wales, which it said should be a “wake-up call” for the UK Government to strengthen the social security system and rethink cuts to welfare which risk forcing more people into having to use food banks.
RCT has seen a slight decrease of 7.7% in the number of emergency food parcels distributed compared to last year but it has seen persistently high levels of need over the last five years, and a 30.2% increase when compared with the same period in 2019-20.
A spokesperson for the food bank networks said: “Although we have seen a slight decrease in the number of parcels distributed, far too many people in our communities are still going without the essentials.
“We hear constantly about the struggles facing people at risk of hunger and hardship, and we need urgent action from the government to ensure everyone can foodbank to survive.
Pontypridd Foodbank, Rhondda Foodbank, Merthyr Cynon Foodbank, and Taf Ely Foodbank are part of the Trussell community of food banks, which has reported persistently high levels of need in the last 12 months, with almost three million (2,885,086) emergency food parcels provided to people facing hardship across the UK between April 2024 and March 2025.
More than a million of these parcels were provided for children.
The food banks say everybody should have enough money in their pockets to put food on the table and are calling on the community to play their part to help end the need for emergency food in the UK.
Emma Revie, chief executive of Trussell, said: “Far too many children, families, disabled people, working people, and elderly people from across RCT needed to access food banks for emergency food in the past year. This should be a wake-up call to the government and a stark reminder of its responsibilities to the people of RCT.
“A whole generation has now grown up in RCT where sustained high levels of food bank need feels like the norm.
“The community has teachers, doctors, and healthcare professionals now routinely referring people to food banks as part of their day-to-day jobs, showing how emergency food has sadly become a fixture. If you can, please play your part and help change this.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “This government is determined to change people’s lives for the better, helping them out of poverty and tackling the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence in recent years.
“We are reforming the broken welfare system we inherited so we can get people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting those who need it most.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we are extending the Household Support Fund, launching 750 breakfast clubs across the country and making changes to Universal Credit to give a £420 boost to over one million households.”
People can donate food or funds to https://taffely.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/, pontypridd.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/, rhondda.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/ or merthyrcynon.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/
