We know the Prime Minister is prioritising measures that take pressure off families, but with healthy food costing more than twice as much per calorie as less healthy options, how can families afford to eat well, as prices continue to soar?
As the Chancellor prepares to announce his first Autumn Budget, Alexandra Rose is calling on the Government to make access to healthy food a priority in its mission to reduce the cost of living and guarantee the essentials.
As the Prime Minister recently put it, “I know people can’t wait. Families need breathing space now.” Affordable, nutritious food must be part of that commitment.
Our Autumn Budget submission set out four priorities:
- Establish a national Good Food Local Fund, committing £6 million over three years to test, evaluate and scale local schemes that make fresh fruit and veg more affordable and accessible for communities experiencing the greatest barriers to buying and eating healthy food.
- Maximise the impact of the Healthy Start scheme by expanding eligibility to families in receipt of Universal Credit, introducing automatic enrolment and ensuring payments rise annually in line with the cost of food, so that more families have a nutritional safety net.
- Ensure the cost of healthy food is taken into account when setting benefits and minimum wages, so household income covers food and other essentials.
- Continue to invest in local authorities’ vital public health work, returning the Public Health Grant to 2015/16 levels, with funding distributed more equitably to reflect local needs.
These measures would help families put healthy food on the table, whilst also supporting local food businesses and investing in prevention, thereby reducing health inequalities and easing pressure on public services.