The Bread and Butter Thing reveals that the cost of living crisis brings pandemic levels of isolation

The continued cost of living crisis is more than a choice between heating and eating. It’s forcing families into the kind of social isolation witnessed during the pandemic, warns TBBT.

6,600 members took part in TBBT’s annual survey and more than three quarters said that rises in the cost of living are driving them apart from family and friends.

After paying the rent and their energy bills, over half have less than £50 left at the end of the month and over a third of them are barely breaking even. That’s before thinking about essentials such as food, personal hygiene or cleaning products.

Whether the barriers are the expense of the transport, the price of fuel to put in the car, or the cost of cake and a cuppa, 77 per cent of TBBT members are more marginalised than ever as living costs continue to spiral.

As a result, 61 per cent of members are seeing friends and family less often than they were last summer and eight per cent have stopped seeing them entirely.

More than half of them are going longer than a week without seeing their loved ones.

Mark Game, CEO of TBBT said: “Our members have hardly anything left for their food budget so it’s no wonder that they are increasingly isolated from their loved ones.

“After paying the rent and their energy bills, over half have less than £50 left at the end of month and over a third of them are barely breaking even.

“There is a tragic inevitably that those worst off are the most isolated and therefore the most susceptible to loneliness and the issues that arise from it.

“As a result, we’re focusing on the work beyond food – such as launching our Warm Hubs and increasing our wraparound services to help support members in making every penny count.

“We’re also continuing to grow and spread the benefits of TBBT’s affordable food service, putting money back in people’s pockets through saving on their food budgets.

“There is an increasing recognition amongst stakeholders that by investing in projects like TBBT - an affordable food service that supports people with additional expertise and the capacity to come together as a community – can have lasting and transformative impacts on individuals and their families.”

These results are announced as TBBT publishes its annual impact report which shows that TBBT members collectively saved £4.8m on their food budgets by shopping with TBBT in 2022, and the charity redistributed over 12 million meals worth of food.

TBBT’s impact is much more than fiscal, it’s social too. Over half TBBT’s members have met new people and made new friends through their weekly visits to their TBBT hub.

These figures also go some way to explaining the popularity and success of TBBT’s Warm Hubs project, launched in the autumn of 2022 in conjunction with more than 40 community partners.

These spaces offer a warm welcome to people struggling to fire up the heating at home plus the chance to meet friends for a hot drink and a natter.

In the six months since opening, there have been almost 16,000 visits to TBBT’s Warm Hubs. They’ve been so positively received that they are now evolving into permanent weekly social spaces.

Mark added: “The economic challenges that we have all faced this year have forced many people to withdraw socially and isolate themselves from the people they love.

“TBBT aims to do more than feed people – our hubs become a local focal point and the catalyst for friendships and community spirit, helping to improve the health and happiness of our members.”

TBBT offer affordable food hubs, supporting people in low income communities to feed themselves and their families well.

Every week they offer members access to fruit and veg, cupboard staples and fridge favourites at deeply discounted prices.

Hubs based in North Kirklees include Windybank Community Centre in Liversedge, Thornhill Lees Community Centre in Dewsbury, Chickenley Community Hub in Dewsbury and Howden Clough Community Centre in Batley.

To become a member of TBBT email [email protected] or text 07860 063304. Alternatively, there is an application form and more information at www.breadandbutterthing.org/contact.