FOOD banks in Jersey have seen demand for their services surge in recent years amid the spiralling cost of living – with one charity warning that some Islanders are finding themselves with “nothing left” after their bills are paid.
During 2021, the Salvation Army gave out 1,040 food parcels, rising to 1,470 and then 2,850 in 2022 and 2023 respectively – with last year’s figure standing at 3,802.
And St Vincent de Paul food bank was providing support to over 500 households by the end of last year, compared to just under 200 at the beginning of 2022.
Patrick Lynch, the chief executive of Catholic social action charity Caritas Jersey – which works closely with St Vincent de Paul – cited the rising cost of living as the reason for the increase.
“Salaries for people on lower and minimum wages just aren’t going far enough,” he said, explaining that this was reflected by the greater numbers of people coming to food banks towards the end of each month.
“When rent and other bills are paid, there’s just nothing left.”
He also noted that the government is preparing to increase the minimum wage to £13 per hour in April 2025, but described the change as coming “a quarter too late”.
Mr Lynch made the comments shortly before Jersey Electricity introduced a 7.5% price rise that took effect at the start of this year, following what the utility company described as “turmoil” in the international energy markets.
The increase added around £2 per week to the average domestic electricity bill.
A few weeks later, Island Energy also introduced a gas price rise of 7.5% for Jersey customers, citing a rise in wholesale and import costs – with the change equating to around £9.50 extra a month for an average household.
Towards the end of last year, the Salvation Army revealed it is planning to operate a community store to provide “shopping with dignity” for struggling Islanders.
Its new service, which will be called The Pantry Store, will sell subsidised items to those identified as being in need of extra support – following the “social supermarket” model growing in popularity in the UK.
