As the Autumn Budget approaches, Alexandra Rose Charity is calling for the Government to commit to bold actions to tackle food insecurity and support families to afford a healthy diet.
On Wednesday 30 October, Rachel Reeves will deliver her first budget as Chancellor, and the first budget from a Labour Government for 14 years. It’s no secret that there will be ‘hard but fair choices’ to be made as the Government grapples with rising food insecurity, and declining population health. The question is whether this budget will prioritise the actions needed to ensure that healthy food, like fresh fruit and veg, is affordable and accessible to those who need it most.
We recommend that the upcoming budget includes measures that:
1. Support local authorities to pilot and scale financial incentives for fresh fruit and veg using our Rose Voucher for Fruit & Veg and Fruit & Veg on Prescription projects as a blueprint for success.
2. Maximise the impact of the Healthy Start Scheme by increasing the uptake and value and expanding eligibility.
3. Ensure that the cost of a healthy diet is taken into account when setting benefit levels and the minimum wage.
4. Introduce a protected minimum amount to Universal Credit to prevent people from falling further into hardship and hunger.
With almost 10 million adults and children living in households struggling to afford or access sufficient food, the budget presents a critical opportunity to address the barriers families face in accessing a healthy diet and in doing so achieve the Government’s ambitions to make our children healthier, relieve pressure on the NHS and grow the economy.
You can read our full Autumn Budget 2024 representation here.