Food Insecurity in Northern Ireland: Issues of income adequacy and other drivers of food bank and social supermarket usage

Access to food is written into various international declarations, covenants and goals and yet there exists food insecurity: the inability to afford or access food in sufficient quantities (or the anxiety of being unable to do so in a socially acceptable way). Different attempts to ameliorate it range between welfare and charity. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of the UK population has experienced food insecurity over time. In Northern Ireland, official figures now report food insecurity at 26%. Food insecurity manifests in terms of unaffordability of food items to the extent of dictating the nutritional quality and variety of food consumed by the household; its co-existence with hunger for the working poor, maternal buffering to ensure children in the family receive enough to eat when food supplies are limited; and a fear about managing in the future. This article reports research examining the perspectives of food bank and social supermarket clients and managers in navigating the increasing reliance on charitable food aid. The research uncovered an overwhelming sense that the system is broken and the underlying causes must be tackled, with balance being struck between removing the stigma without institutionalising the need. There are policy implications with regards to a fit for purpose benefits systems and work that pays.