Without Access to Justice

Feeding Liverpool and the University of Liverpool have published a new report – Without Access to Justice: The work and welfare problems driving food insecurity.

The report draws from powerful stories of people of working-age who were using food support spaces, including food banks, food pantries and other community organisations in 2023.

The report contains a series of recommendations responding to the report’s four key findings:

1. People of working-age are experiencing food insecurity because they can be trying to get-by on an income that is below the minimum level promised by law.

2. Accessing legal rights is excessively and often unnecessarily complicated.

3. The current substance of employment and welfare rights is insufficient to protect people of working-age from food insecurity.

4. Being without access to justice puts mental and physical health at risk.

To advance the recommendations of the report, Feeding Liverpool will be setting up two local working groups to advocate and organise for change:

Working Group 1 – National and Local Government and DWP

Working Group 2 – Employers, Trade Unions, Food Spaces and Networks, Universities

If you or your organisation are interested in taking actions to advance the report recommendations, please sign up to a working group by emailing  samir@feedingliverpool.org . Meeting dates for both working groups will be set for February.

Feeding Liverpool will be disseminating the report further, including:

• Feeding Liverpool’s Community Food Network meeting on 7th February will focus on the report, and how food spaces can advance the recommendations

• Feeding Liverpool will also be presenting the findings to The Liverpool Marmot Partnership Group to further embed the learnings from the report in the streams of work that partnership is conducting.

• In February, Christ Church Toxteth Pantry, and Vauxhall Pantry will also be holding community meals to engage food space members directly with the report.

Download the report here https://www.feedingliverpool.org/without-access-to-justice/