Community Calls on Daniel Zeichner MP to back an Essentials Guarantee
Campaigners met the local MP in Westminster to talk about rising need
On Wednesday 18th June, Cambridge City Foodbank campaigners met with MPs in Westminster to make the case for urgent action to reduce food bank need.
Foodbank staff, campaigners from the Guarantee Our Essentials Group of Survivors, and hundreds of people from the food bank community across the UK went to parliament to tell MPs to support an Essentials Guarantee, a law which would ensure that Universal Credit is always enough to afford life's essentials.
Last year, Cambridge City Foodbank gave out nearly 18,000 emergency food parcels, and 2.9 million were given out across the food bank network. But we cannot continue to try and meet the tide of rising need. We need change to ensure that people on the lowest incomes have the essentials needed to live.
During the meeting with Daniel Zeichner MP, Minister for Food Security, campaigners presented our Community Call to Action, signed by representatives of 22 Cambridge organisations who support the Essentials Guarantee.
More and more people we are supporting have had to seek help from food banks in order to make payments in ever-rising costs. Everyday life is just too much of a struggle, and more help and consideration is needed urgently.
The Community Call to Action: End the Need for Food Banks
END THE NEED FOR FOOD BANKS
Dear Daniel Zeichner MP,
We are deeply concerned with the number of people in our community experiencing hunger and hardship because they cannot afford the essentials.
Many of our organisations help people by providing essential items and advice, creating warm and welcoming spaces, and working together to foster a strong, supportive network for local people. But there is only so much help we can provide.
With a record high 17,919 3-day emergency food parcels given out by Cambridge City Foodbank from 31 March 2024 to 31 March 2025, a 10% increase from the previous year, more and more people in Cambridge on Universal Credit are being left with no option but to turn to food banks to feed themselves or their family. Redundancy, in-work poverty, caring for a sick family member, relationship breakdown, ill-health. People who never thought they would have to use a food bank hit hard by relentless rises in energy, food and travel costs.
The cost of living for many of your constituents is a matter of survival.
Cambridge University Hospitals recorded an all-time high of 13,184 people visiting Addenbrooke’s A&E in October. High numbers of those admitted with respiratory conditions, illnesses, and injuries come from cold homes unable to afford energy bills.
Many suffer malnourishment from not being able to afford a healthy diet on the basic rate. The Food Foundation’s 2025 ‘Broken plate’ report showed that fresh fruit and veg prices have increased at least twice the rate of unhealthy foods. This is leaving many of your constituents starved of essential nutrients, impacting physical and mental wellbeing, and increasing the risk of serious health problems.
No one in our community should have to struggle to afford the basics. The most effective way to change this is by fixing our social security system.
Research shows around a quarter of the costs of essentials aren’t covered by the basic payment with the current standard allowance of £91 a week leaving single adults at least £29 short and couples at least £57 short on the £143 payment. Debt deductions arising from the 5-week wait (currently averaging £62 a month) are pulling the support available up to 15% below this with approximately 2.8 million Universal Credit households impacted in November 2024. The planned £7 weekly increase from April 2026 announced in the Spring Statement therefore falls well short of an essentials guarantee.
We urge you, as our MP, to stand up for those facing hardship by calling on the Chancellor to introduce legislation ensuring Universal Credit truly covers the cost of essentials. This would include a minimum floor ensuring that debt deductions do not allow payments to fall below this level and an annual reset based on an independent review of the cost of living. This level is currently estimated to be at least £120 a week for a single adult and £200 for a couple based on Trussell and ONS household spending data.
We are really pleased that you accepted our invitation to meet with us on Wednesday 18 June for the Guarantee our Essentials national lobby day in Westminster. Alongside the work we are doing to raise support for Universal Credit change in Cambridge, this is a great opportunity to discuss how we can work with you to turn the tide of hardship facing our community and put in place an Essentials Guarantee.
The government talks of the importance of mobilising the talent and potential of British society. We hear first-hand the aspirations and ambitions of people we work with. But we also hear their distress and worry from being on low-income. By ensuring people can afford the essentials, including job-enabling bus rides and communications, the government will show those in our community impacted by deprivation that they are serious about supporting people into work.
We hope that people will have greater access to nutritious food as a result of your work as Minister for Food Security, in creating a food system that works for everyone. But we know that as things stand increasing the basic rate of Universal Credit will be a lifeline to thousands in your constituency.
As a community, we are doing our part to support one another - but we also know government action is urgently needed. We hope you’ll use your voice in Parliament to help end the growing reliance on emergency food parcels.
We look forward to hearing back from you about this.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Clay, CEO, Cambridge City Foodbank
Helen Jones, CEO, Cambridge & District Citizens Advice
Lis Silver, CEO, It Takes A City
Eddie Stadnik, CEO, Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum
Nicky Shepherd, CEO, Abbey People
James Martin, Director, Cambridge Cyrenians
The Cambridge Housing Society Ltd (CHS Group)
Shahida Rahman, Karim Foundation
Sarah Crick, CEO, The Red Hen Project
Sally Page, Deputy CEO, Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service
Gregory Hall, Support Manager Papworth Trust
Rev’d Dr Karin Voth Harman, Vicar, St Andrew’s Cherry Hinton
Michelle Geach, Community Pastor, The C3 Centre
Rev'd Imogen Nay, Vicar, St Paul’s Church
Melissa Santiago-Val, CEO, Sew Positive
Madeleine Goodwyn, Director, Trumpington Community Drama Group
Simon Glenister, CEO, Noise Solution
Charlie Barker, CEO and Founder, Addicted to Football
Catharine Walston, Chair of Trustees, Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign
Claire Houghton, Care Together Commissioner, Cambridgeshire County Council
ACORN Cambridge
Rev Stuart Wood, Minister, Barnwell Baptist Church
We see so many people struggling to meet their basic needs. The Essentials Guarantee would really help people and bring dignity to their lives. No one should have to starve in our city.