A spokesperson for Wandsworth Foodbank has urged the UK government to scrap the total benefit cap, warning that emergency food distribution in London has surged as families struggle with the cost of living.
Sarah Chapman, advocacy and communications manager at Wandsworth Foodbank, has welcomed the Chancellor’s decision to abolish the two-child benefit cap from April 2026, but says it does not go far enough.
Despite the move predicted to help lift 450,000 children out of relative low income households, Chapman argues many families will not be better off because of the total benefit cap, which limits the maximum amount of benefits a household can receive regardless of family size.
Chapman said: “We can’t wait to see the two-child benefit cap lifted.
“We know families who have said they will now have enough money to survive.
“One such parent is a single mother of five children, including a disabled baby, who says she will no longer need to use the foodbank come April.
“But there are some people who won’t gain anything because they’re already receiving the maximum, and it’ll still be difficult for them.
“We need to relink need and provision by scrapping the overall benefit cap.”
Chapman, who helped establish Wandsworth Foodbank in 2013, said the charity has experienced a 400% increase in demand for emergency food parcels over the past 13 years.
Annual figures released by the Trussell Trust in March 2025 show food parcel distribution across London has more than doubled since 2020.
Chapman added: “The cost of living and inflation are making things harder for people.
“If you’re on a low and fixed income, you’re already spending a much larger portion of your budget on essentials like food and housing, so there’s no scope to deal with rising supermarket prices.”
Despite more pressure on households across the income spectrum, donations have increased over the past decade, and Wandsworth Foodbank now has 350 volunteers.
The charity has collection points in most Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Asda stores across the borough, and has partnered with the online platform Bankuet, allowing people to donate funds virtually that go towards purchasing food in bulk.
Wandsworth Foodbank also runs a support service in collaboration with Wandsworth Citizens Advice, offering those referred to the foodbank the opportunity to speak with an advisor about things like maximising income and improving financial resilience.
Chapman acknowledged there are times when the foodbank just about copes with demand, but she is optimistic that lifting the two-child benefit cap will be transformative for both families and frontline charities.
But without further reform in the shape of removing the total benefit cap, Chapman warns foodbanks will continue to fill gaps in the welfare system.
Click here to find out more or get involved in Wandsworth Foodbank.
Featured image credit: Instagram – wandsworthfoodbank
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