A Slice of Life
If help exists but no one knows about it... is it really help?
Millions of working families are missing out on vital support because they don’t even know it exists. Or worse, they know it exists but can’t access it due to overcomplicated paperwork. And that’s why we're making waves on the Thames. To launch our latest piece of research, the Slice of Life report, right in the heart of Westminster to highlight a broken system that’s failing working people who are struggling to keep their heads above water.
We know that there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Bread and Butter member. And as part of our latest survey, we wanted to share what life really looks like for our membership. Our members are from diverse backgrounds and household types, yet they all have one thing in common: each week, they maximise their income, connect with their community and improve their diets simply by coming to our food clubs.
This year’s survey shows that while food banks are crucial in a crisis, long-term solutions like our food clubs are key for lasting food security. Ultimately, our findings show how financial instability, food insecurity, and support systems are all interconnected and stress the importance of community.
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What’s needed
A national food security strategy that reduces need for crisis support:
The government’s upcoming food strategy must prioritise prevention, ensuring families are supported before falling into crisis. This should include expanding affordable food access, school meal programmes, and affordable nutritional initiatives. Food insecurity must be treated as a systemic issue connected to low wages, housing, and social support; not just a series of isolated crises.
Too many working families miss out on the support they are entitled to due to complex application processes. The government should simplify systems and introduce auto-enrolment where possible, using existing data to reduce bureaucracy and ensure people receive the help they qualify for.
Simplifying and streamlining access to government support:
Many working households fall through the cracks—earning too much for help but too little to cover essential costs. Life is not affordable. Expanding eligibility criteria for support schemes would provide critical relief to families struggling with the cost of living.
Raising eligibility thresholds for financial support:
Government must ensure that affordability—for food, housing, and essentials—is a core principle across all policy making. Strategies should reduce reliance on emergency support and focus on sustainable solutions that lift communities out of persistent hardship.
Embed long-term affordability in future policy design:
Why we're taking our message to Westminster: Life isn't affordable and people cannot keep their heads above water
At The Bread and Butter Thing, we’re known for our food clubs, not for political stunts. But sometimes, when the reality on the ground is being ignored in Westminster, we must speak out, and raise our voices.
That’s why we’re heading to Parliament. Not with placards and protest chants, but with a powerful visual of people barely keeping their heads above water. Because that's what life feels like for millions across the UK right now.
Read more about it right here
Help is out there and we’re on a mission to make it easier to access
As a start, we’ve pulled together an easy-to-use snapshot of all the Government and charity support that exists out there, from energy advice to NHS low-income support and more. Take a closer look right here…
Listen to our Slice of Life podcast special
Meet Carer James, a support worker and devoted young dad doing everything he can to make sure his little boy is well fed. Even with two incomes and careful budgeting, James and his partner still find themselves struggling to cover the basics.