Charity Relief

 In Middlesbrough people are already queuing at the door of the Genesis Project charity and pay £2 for food that will last a week. It's run by the Reverend Deacon Kath Dean.

"We've seen deprivation, but not on this scale, not on this scale whatsoever," she says. "We would normally think of destitution as homeless people. At home, they've got shelter, but some of them are wrapping up in blankets..."

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Destitution in the UK 2020 report, the highest proportion of people experiencing extreme hardship in the UK is in Middlesbrough, with the North East as a whole seeing higher rates than London and the North West.

Middlesbrough was the local authority ranked highest for destitution rates with 1.8% of households classed as destitute. Destitution in the UK is defined as people who can't afford two or more essentials like shelter, food, heating or clothing.

Across the UK, the report says about 2.4 million people experienced destitution in 2019, a 54% increase since the last publication in 2017. That figure included 550,000 children, a 52% increase since 2017. Now, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation is concerned the pandemic is pushing families even closer to the brink.

JRF's  director Helen Barnard says: "Looking at this report, I feel appalled. I think in a society that believes in compassion and justice, I feel deeply ashamed that we have allowed ourselves to get to a situation where millions are trapped in this degrading situation."

Covid: Poverty and virus 'pushing families closer to the brink' - BBC News