Published: 20/05/2022
Policy Area(s) Food Security; Social Security; Poverty
While we commend Jamie Oliver and others for their tireless campaigning to promote the increased growing, sale and consumption of healthier and more sustainable food throughout the UK, we believe that now is not the time to be banning promotions and multi-buy offers on junk food'.
The UK is in midst of the biggest rise in the
cost of living for over 40 years and there is
significant and sustained pressure on
household budgets which with the current
political leadership, shows no sign of
abatement.
We are seeing a perfect storm of unprecedented hikes in energy prices, rocketing food costs, projections of turbulent harvest yields driven by the war in Ukraine and the UK government's refusal to take concise and deliberate action to increase benefit rates to those in most need.
We do not believe that now is the time to be changing food pricing even further. Many households containing disabled or chronically ill people report that higher calorie options or foods designated as 'junk foods' are often cheaper, more convenient in form and preparation and require less energy to cook or heat rather than say a meat joint or chicken.
Changes need to be brought into effect at a time when households are under less economic stress and in a manner to ensure healthier food is affordable, accessible and made available in a form or preparation which does not lock out those who are disabled or chronically ill. We call for the government to delay implementation of this planned policy and to work with all great haste to alleviate the considerable and sustained pressure on household budgets, felt many magnitudes more in households with disabled and chronically ill family members.
Rob McDowall FRSA
Chair, Welfare Scotland
This statement is on behalf of the Board of Directors of Welfare Scotland.
Ref: BWV20221
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