Um, so Helen Barnard, what, what would you say are the key principles for how government should go about reforming the, uh, benefits system, specifically for those with health and disabilities a- and the wider systems of support for those people as well?

Okay.

Um, so for those who don't know, Trussell is an anti-poverty charity.

Uh, we support about 1,400 food bank centers across the country, um, which is relevant for this because what we see...

So at food banks, you have to be referred to our food banks, so it's not a kind of walk in.

So people have been referred because they need that support, and on average, people who come are trying to get by on about 100 pound a week to cover all of their costs.

Just for context, on average you get, uh, people have 600 pounds a week just for the average income.

Helen Barnard, I wonder if you could say a little bit more about, from your perspective, what are the problems with that system and how could the process be improved?

Um, so Helen Barnard, what, what would you say are the key principles for how government should go about reforming the, uh, benefits system, specifically for those with health and disabilities a- and the wider systems of support for those people as well?

Okay.

Um, so for those who don't know, Trussell is an anti-poverty charity.

Uh, we support about 1,400 food bank centers across the country, um, which is relevant for this because what we s- so at food banks, you have to be referred to our food banks, so it's not a kind of walk in, so people have been referred because they need that support.

And on average, people who come are trying to get by on about 100 pound a week to cover all of their costs.

Just for context, on average, you get... uh, people have 600 pounds a week just for the average income.

Um, and what we find is about three quarters of the people who are referred to our food banks are disabled in some way.

Helen Barnard, I wonder if you could say a little bit more about, from your perspective, what are the problems with that system and how could the process be improved?

So, Helen, is this kind of interesting research from your point of view? Can it help?

So, yes, it is very interesting.

I mean, just on the point about employment.

So what we see is that there are growing numbers of people who are in work who are facing hunger and having to access food banks.

It isn't the majority, though.

It's it's getting to be around a third of people are in work and it tends to be insecure work, the kind of work that doesn't give you either decent wages or a kind of steady income from month to month.

But I think the research overall, I think there are two points where it really chimes with our experience.

Helen, can I ask a question here regarding the accessibility? So basically my question revolves around accessibility that how to increase the accessibility that people who are willing to access the food banks, but they are unable to access it because maybe they don't know they are there or for some other reason.