I wrote to the Secretary of State for work and pensions to highlight the work of Norwich Foodbank, who have recently published their quarterly report covering the period from October to December 2025.
During this period, Norwich Foodbank supported 1,429 households in Norwich and distributed 25,433 kilograms of food. Of these households, 88 per cent were in receipt of welfare benefits.
Norwich Foodbank has identified the five-week wait for Universal Credit, whereby new Universal Credit claimants must wait five weeks for their first payment, as a key issue among foodbank users.
I asked the Minister the following questions:
- What assessment have you made of the impact of the five-week wait for Universal Credit on food insecurity and child poverty?
- What consideration have you given to ending the five-week wait for Universal Credit?