Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Wednesday, 4 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 February 2026. It was answered by Diana Johnson (Labour) on Wednesday, 18 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Food Banks

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the criteria for foodbanks to be included within official foodbank statistics.

Answer

The department’s official statistics on food bank use are published via the annual Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics, Households below average income (HBAI) statistics - GOV.UK using data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS), Family Resources Survey - GOV.UK. They measure whether a household has used a food bank in the past 30 days or 12 months.

Respondents are asked whether they have used a food bank in the past 30 days/12 months. The questionnaire instructions make it clear that informal support with food supplies via family and friends and vouchers provided by local authorities and other organisations that are not food banks should not be counted as food bank use.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 110958
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Food banks
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Food Banks

Secondary information

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