COUNCILLORS in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) have given their backing to a campaign to make sure everyone can afford life’s essentials.
RCT councillors have voted in favour of a motion in support of the essentials guarantee which is a campaign led by Trussell and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and championed by the foodbank networks in RCT that calls for universal credit to be set at a level that ensures everyone can a afford life’s essentials.
The motion, passed at the full council meeting on Wednesday, June 25, highlighted the need for further reform to the UK’s social security system to prevent people from being forced to turn to food banks to survive.
The decision makes RCT one of a growing number of councils across the UK, and the second in Wales, to support the campaign.
The foodbank networks in RCT which is made up of Taf-Ely Foodbank, Pontypridd Foodbank, Rhondda Foodbank, and Merthyr Cynon Foodbank has seen a substantial rise in the number of people needing emergency food parcels, with 16,634 parcels distributed in RCT in 2024/25, a 30.2% increase compared to 2019/20.
The foodbank networks said that currently, five in six low-income households receiving universal credit nationwide are unable to afford the essentials such as food, bills, and toiletries.
The essentials guarantee campaign calls on the UK Government to ensure that social security provides a genuine safety net for all, so no one has to turn to food banks to get by.
Deputy leader of RCT Council Councillor Maureen Webber BEM presented the motion and said that all residents should have access to afford the basic essentials to live.
A spokesperson for the food banks said: “We welcome the council’s endorsement of the Guarantee Our Essentials campaign.
“The motion represents a significant step forward and underscores the growing recognition of the importance of our campaign in Wales and across the UK.”
