“I’M SEEING doctors, nurses, and even lawyers having to use a food bank” a foodbank support manager in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) has said.
Following the recent release of statistics about food bank use over the last year in RCT, the Local Democracy Reporting Service heard from Charmaine Walsh about some of the stories she is hearing from people who are having to use them.
Over 16,634 emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship across RCT between April 2024 and March 2025, with 5,793 of these provided for children.
The RCT Foodbanks have seen a 7.7% slight decrease in the number of emergency food parcels distributed compared to last year but despite this slight dip, RCT has seen persistently high levels of food bank need in recent years, with a sharp 30.1% rise compared with 2019/20.
Charmaine said: “While we saw referrals decrease slightly, the need for food banks across the UK has not wavered. As a food bank support manager, every day I speak to people who tell me they are struggling to put food on the table and are unable to afford the essentials.
“People tell me how they used to be able to scrape by, but now they have nothing left at the end of the month. They are having to use the foodbank because money just doesn’t last the way it used to, due to the high cost of living, and because low incomes from work and social security payments are not covering the costs of the essentials.
“At the food bank, I’ve been told many times how people have had to wait up to 12 weeks for their Universal Credit (UC) or Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to come through.
“During that period, they often have no money left and no one to lean on, so they can receive support from the food bank for as long as it takes for them to get back on their feet.
“Recently, someone coming to the food bank told me they had been using PayPal Pay in 3 to cover their weekly shop. Essentially, they were spreading the cost of their food shop over three months, and they are not alone.
“Parents dread half-term because it means a week’s worth of extra meals to find for their children.
“During this time, parents will often ask me if I know of any free things to do over half term, as they simply don’t have the money to treat the children to a day out.
“I’m seeing more and more of what we are calling in-work poverty, where both parents in a household are working but they simply don’t have enough coming in to cover the bills.
“I’m seeing doctors, nurses, and even lawyers having to use a food bank. No one wants to go to a food bank. But people are having to swallow their pride and go, because they have no other option.
“We refuse to stand by while so many of us can’t afford to eat, keep warm and pay the bills. It doesn’t have to be this way. Everyone should have enough money to afford the essentials like food, bills and toiletries.
“The UK Government’s plans to slash support for disabled people only risk pushing more people to the doors of food banks.
“That’s why Taff Ely, together with Trussell, is calling on the UK Government to rethink its planned cuts to disability benefits and do what is right.
She also shared some stories from local people who have used the foodbank.
One person said: “I was struggling for food and was living in temporary accommodation. I came to the foodbank after receiving a voucher from my support worker. I felt ashamed to have to use a foodbank but was grateful that services like this existed.
“I was also awaiting the results of my PIP claim, so I had no money until that decision was made. I was supported through this, making sure I had enough food until my PIP decision was made. I was also being supported by my support worker to get onto Homefinder to find a place of my own.”
After a recent call with them, Charmaine said she was delighted to hear they now have their own accommodation and to find out that PIP had been awarded.
Charmaine said that they were extremely thankful and emotional on the phone and were grateful for all the support they were able to offer them.
Another person said: “I have a long-term health issue that isn’t going to get any better, my children’s school referred me for a foodbank, I was embarrassed, ashamed and anxious to have to use one, but would do anything to feed my kids.
“My eldest daughter is my carer and helps out with her siblings who also have health issues. It was Christmas time when I came to the foodbank, I had £3 in the bank and not a clue on how I was going to manage.
“I spoke to Charmaine who reassured me that it was nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, and that we all fall on hard times. I was amazed by the generosity of everyone at the food bank and the amount of food I was given.
“She explained that the local church was doing Christmas dinner free of charge, but I knew I’d never make it with my health issues and the children, so she suggested they find a way to deliver it to me.
“In that moment, I just broke down. I know my situation isn’t going to get better any time soon, but in that short space of time, I was shown so much kindness and generosity from strangers that I had a glimmer of hope again.”
A UK Government spokesperson recently said the government is determined to change people’s lives for the better, help them out of poverty and tackle the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence in recent years.
They said the government is reforming the broken welfare system it inherited so it can get people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting those who need it most.
They said that as part of the plan for change, the UK Government is 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.
