Guarantee Our Essentials: Barking Foodbank Joins Nationwide Campaign at Westminster

On 18 June, Barking Foodbank joined over 700 campaigners, foodbank teams, and community advocates at Westminster to lobby MPs for an Essentials Guarantee—a policy that would ensure Universal Credit covers life’s basic costs. Gowry Paraneeharan, Senior Welfare Rights Adviser at Hope Family Trust/Barking Foodbank, attended the event and shared her reflections on why this campaign matters and what change is urgently needed.

Introducing Our Adviser: Tackling the Root Causes of Food Insecurity

“I’m Gowry Paraneeharan , Senior Welfare Rights Adviser at Hope Family Trust/Barking Foodbank. I joined the organisation in May 2024, bringing with me over a decade of experience as a Welfare Rights Adviser at Citizens Advice across both inner and greater London.

At Barking Foodbank, I’ve helped more than 400 people increase their income through social security system. My role focuses on addressing the root causes of financial hardship among foodbank users. I take a holistic approach, supporting clients with issues such as social security , homelessness, debt, and challenging unfair social security decisions. I also help identify when people are not receiving the support they are entitled to, so they are less likely to have to come to a food bank again rather than reliance on emergency food.

Many people I work with turn to foodbanks due to rising living costs, especially in the absence of London weighting in their wages—a benefit once common but now often removed. In-work poverty is increasing in Barking and Dagenham, especially among residents dealing with ill health.

Zero-hour contracts are another issue. Workers on these contracts lack job security and basic employment rights. If they stop working—for any reason—they often face eviction and destitution. Universal Credit, although designed as a safety net, currently does not cover essential costs. After paying basic bills like utility charges, phone, TV licence, and water, recipients are left with virtually nothing to spend on food from the £92.00 per week allowance.

Traditionally, workers who lost their jobs had redundancy payments or savings to rely on. Today’s gig economy primarily benefits large corporations while leaving workers vulnerable. I’ve seen many millennials who have worked all their lives but have no savings, living hand-to-mouth. Once on Universal Credit, many struggle to re-enter the job market, distracted by fulfilling rigid claimant commitments and forced to apply for jobs below their skill level, just to stay afloat.

The Youth Mobility Scheme, which allows young workers from specific countries to take up jobs in the UK, has also intensified competition in the labour market, further disadvantaging local residents.

As a Welfare Rights Adviser, I document these political, social, and economic developments as social policy issues. I collaborate with Trussell’s Organising and Local Mobilisation team (OLM) to campaign to end the need for food banks.”

Why Barking Foodbank Took Part in Lobby Day

“We witness daily how rising living costs and insufficient benefit levels are impacting families in Barking and Dagenham. Many of our clients are in work, yet still rely on foodbanks due to low wages and inadequate social security support.

We joined Lobby Day because the current social security system fails to guarantee the essentials. This means people can’t cover basic needs like food and utilities, even with support. Foodbanks shouldn’t have to fill the gaps left by an underfunded social safety net.

Universal Credit currently provides just £92.00 per week for a single adult—barely enough to pay bills, let alone buy food. We need a system that reflects the real cost of living.”

What Happened at Lobby Day

“We gathered outside Parliament with Sophie Clark, OLM Manager for London, Trussell, and hundreds of others—food bank staff, volunteers, and people with lived experience from all over the UK. The atmosphere was passionate, determined, and hopeful.

We attended briefings, met with MPs, and connected with foodbanks across the country. It was a chance to share challenges and best practices, and to stand united in demanding a stronger safety net.

Although our local MP couldn’t attend, I met with Sir Stephen Timms(Minister of State for Social Security and Disability), MP for Newham. I explained how in-work poverty is driving people—especially front-line workers like healthcare staff and emergency responders—to foodbanks. These workers are often on minimum wage, which simply isn’t enough to support a family, especially when welfare benefits for low earners fall short of covering rising living costs.

Sir Stephen mentioned that a Welfare Reform Bill had passed that day to increase Universal Credit. I asked if the increase was above inflation and whether it would take effect next year. He confirmed both. I also raised the issue of Universal Credit deductions for third-party debts and suggested a flat rate to prevent destitution. He noted that the deduction rate had already been reduced from 25% to 15%.

Due to time constraints, our discussion was brief. When I later reviewed the bill, I was disheartened to find that it would have worsened conditions for those already living in poverty. It was a relief when the Prime Minister later reversed course on the bill.”

What is the Essentials Guarantee?

“The Essentials Guarantee, a campaign led by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and The Trussell Trust, calls for a legal minimum level of Universal Credit that covers basic living costs—like food, energy, and daily essentials.

Currently, the basic Universal Credit allowance is around £91 per week for a single adult—far below the minimum needed to survive. We’re calling for this to be raised to at least £120 per week, based on independent research into the cost of living.

Many of our clients face impossible choices between heating and eating. The Essentials Guarantee would help prevent people from reaching that breaking point and reduce their need for emergency food.”

Meeting Our MP

“I didn’t meet my local MP on the day, but I handed in a letter, and she has agreed to meet us at Barking Foodbank on July 3rd. We look forward to discussing the Essentials Guarantee campaign with her.”

How Universal Credit Rates and Rising Costs Are Impacting Barking Families

“Many local families are stuck in a cycle of crisis. Even those working full-time or part-time struggle to afford basic items. Their wages don’t keep pace with inflation, and Universal Credit doesn’t provide a sufficient buffer.

We’re seeing increasing debt, worsening mental health, and a growing number of people relying on our foodbank—not just as a one-off emergency, but regularly. That’s not sustainable for families or foodbanks.”

Message to MPs and the Government

“Let me begin by quoting economist and philosopher Amartya Sen:

‘Human development is about enriching human lives, not just economies.’

We want MPs to understand that poverty is a political choice. Universal Credit should serve as a genuine safety net that prevents destitution. Right now, it’s failing to do that.

We’re calling on the government to legislate the Essentials Guarantee, so that no one is left unable to afford food, heating, or transport. It’s a straightforward, achievable change that would transform lives.

Front-line staff at Barking Foodbank are witnessing levels of poverty reminiscent of Dickensian Britain.

The now-reversed Welfare Reform Bill aimed to push more claimants into work. Yet, UK millennials today already struggle to find jobs due to rising competition—exacerbated by immigration policies like the Youth Mobility Scheme.

To be effective, welfare reform must be developed in tandem with immigration policy. Only then can we ensure economic growth benefits everyone—not just corporations or select groups.”

How Local People Can Support the Campaign and Barking Foodbank

“Wealth isn’t created by just one person working alone — it’s made through everyone’s combined efforts, like how language is created and shared by a community. However, only some people with power get to keep and control most of that wealth for themselves..

As economist Yanis Varoufakis said in Another Now:

‘In direct contradiction of the myth promoted by capitalists and rentiers that wealth is produced by individuals, only to be collectivized by the state through taxation, the reality is that wealth, like language, can only be produced collectively. Only then is it privatized by those with the power to do so.’

Here’s how people can help:

• Write to your MP to support the Essentials Guarantee.

• Share campaign materials to raise awareness.

• Donate to Barking Foodbank to help us meet urgent needs.

• Volunteer to support our frontline services.

Together, we can create a system that works for everyone—not just those who can weather the storm.”

Final Note

Over 9.3 million people in the UK, including 3 million children, are facing hunger. Universal Credit must act as a real safety net—not one that traps people in poverty.

We demand an Essentials Guarantee, ensuring claimants can afford food, heating, transport, and other necessities. This change is:

• Simple

• Achievable

• Backed by strong evidence and public support

Nearly 72% of the UK public supports the Essentials Guarantee, across party lines.

Foodbank workers from Barking and beyond met over 700 MPs on Lobby Day, urging them to endorse the Essentials Guarantee and oppose £7 billion in cuts affecting disabled households.

The current welfare and immigration systems are out of sync—creating a two-tier society and driving people further into poverty.

We call on MPs and the government to:

• Recognise that poverty is a policy choice

• Legislate an Essentials Guarantee that reflects real-world costs

• Integrate welfare reform with immigration policy to protect both economic growth and social well-being

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