‘It’s dehumanising, horrible’: the food bank volunteer living on the breadline

Cans of fruit at a Trussell Trust facility. Ben volunteers at a Warrington food bank that is part of the charity’s network. Photograph: Sam Frost

When you are on the breadline there’s always this fear at the back of your mind, says Ben. “You are constantly thinking: have I got enough to cover even the normal everyday basics? You get stuck in a cycle, living at this level of subsistence; it’s dehumanising, horrible.”

Ben, 39, is a former hospitality worker who lives in Warrington. A recovering alcoholic, he has been claiming universal credit for a year. It is hard, he says, but he reckons it is far worse for many other people: “In a sense, I’m in a fairly privileged situation,” he says.