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Taking a cash first approach to food insecurity
Resources linked to income-focused interventions 
 

Ultimately a cash first approach to food insecurity that's come to fruition would mean everyone in our society is able to access a Living Income and a Healthy Standard of Living for All. Integral to a well-functioning social security system is the availability of easily accessible and well-promoted crisis support via cash payments in every UK local authority. 

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Taking a cash first approach to food insecurity at a local level means prioritising income-focused crisis support by means of cash payments, or vouchers if cash payments aren't available, and advice and support to maximise income. 

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Find out more below about why a cash first approach reduces food insecurity and how local level interventions can make a difference.

  • Cash first background
    Building 'cash first' momentum while breaking the food bank paradox from the ground up | CPAG, Sabine Goodwin and Maria Marshall | February 2024 Food poverty set to worsen as September's Universal Credit cliff edge approaches | The BMJ, Sabine Goodwin | August 2021 A Menu for Change: Tackling food insecurity in Scotland
  • Lived experience of a cash first approach
    Give me money (That's what I want): the case for cash benchmarking | Social Market Foundation | February 2021
  • Reducing health inequalities through a cash first approach
    Cost of living: The healthcare ecosystem | UK Parliament | December 2022 Diet-related Health Inequalities | UK Parliament | December 2022 Relationships between income and healthy life expectancy by local authority | The Health Foundation | April 2021 Food for vulnerable people in Covid-19 lockdowns: learning from Greenwich | Sustain | April 2020
  • Scotland and a cash first approach to food insecurity
    Cash First: information, toolkit and resources | Edinburgh Community Food and IFAN | December 2023 Could food banks be relegated to the history books? | The Big Issue, Sabine Goodwin | June 20203 IFAN's Statement on Cash-First: Towards ending the need for food banks in Scotland| IFAN| June 2023 Cash-First: Towards ending the need for food banks in Scotland | Scottish Government | June 2023 A cash first approach to food insecurity isn't simply a dream, it's becoming a reality | Sabine Goodwin (IFAN) and Polly Jones (Trussell Trust)| May 2023 Winter support fund: summary of local action to tackle financial insecurity | Scottish Government | September 2022 Worrying About Money?: Scotland's cash first referral leaflet – impact findings | ScotCen | November 2021 Ending the need for food banks: consultation on a draft national plan | Scottish Government | October 2021 Promoting a 'cash first' approach to food insecurity in Scotland: lessons from developing 'Worrying About Money?' leaflets | IFAN and Nourish Scotland | June 2021 Food banks and how the delivery of the Scottish Welfare Fund can reduce the need for emergency food | IFAN and The Trussell Trust | July 2020 The Scottish Welfare Fund: strengthening the safety net | A Menu for Change | June 2019 A Menu for Change: Tackling food insecurity in Scotland
  • Local government and a cash first approach to food insecurity
    Briefing: Food insecurity – what can local government go? | The Health Foundation | June 2023 Why local policy matters when it comes to ending the need for food banks (webinar) | The Trussell Trust | November 2022 Cash transfers: five lessons about cash transfers decision makers at all levels of government should be aware of | The Trussell Trust | November 2022 Cash-first approaches to supporting people facing financial hardship locally: a literature review | The Trussell Trust | November 2022 Local policy: why local policy matters when it comes to ending the need for food banks | The Trussell Trust | November 2022 Winter support fund: summary of local action to tackle financial insecurity | Scottish Government | September 2022 An evaluation of the Leeds City Council cash grant pilot programme | Vantage Point Research | July 2022 Event summary: the safety net beneath the safety net | North East Child Poverty Commission | December 2021 The safety new beneath the safety net? | North East Child Poverty Commission | October 2021 Strengthening the role of local welfare assistance | GMPA | December 2020 Cash first approach to welfare provision | GMPA | November 2020 'Cash first' – responding to the needs of low income residents through the provision of Local Welfare Support | GMPA | August 2020 Good practice guide: delivering financial hardship support schemes | Local Government Association | July 2020 The Scottish Welfare Fund: strengthening the safety net | A Menu for Change | June 2019
  • Cash first and the Household Support Fund
    Is there a future for crisis support in England?| IFAN, GMPA, End Furniture Poverty and Cash Perks| February 2024 Can you get cash in a crisis? | IFAN | February 2024 Building 'cash first' momentum while breaking the food bank paradox from the ground up | CPAG, Sabine Goodwin and Maria Marshall | February 2024 Household Support Fund: best practice briefing for local authorities | GMPA | April 2023
  • Third sector cash first interventions at a local level
    Vouchers for Families - Pilot Project Evaluation | West Cheshire Foodbank and the University of Chester | January 2024 Cash First: information, toolkit and resources | Edinburgh Community Food and IFAN | December 2023 Cash-first approaches to supporting people facing financial hardship locally: a literature review | The Trussell Trust | November 2022 Learning from the British Red Cross Covid-19 Hardship Fund | British Red Cross | December 2021 Cash first: the LCC pilot | Legendary Community Club | November 2021 Dignity in Practice Learning Events | Nourish Scotland | November 2021 The case for cash first – moving on from vouchers and food parcels as a response to food insecurity (video) | IFAN | November 2021 Response, resilience and recovery: London's food response to Covid-19 | Sustain | November 2020
  • Using vouchers and/or cash grants instead of/alongside food parcels
    Food Insecurity Pilot report | Citizens Advice Scotland | April 2024 Shopping card pilot final evaluation | Citizens Advice Scotland | November 2022 Using shopping vouchers instead of or alongside food parcel provision | IFAN | July 2021 Covid-19 learning and reflections: use of shopping vouchers instead of or alongside food provision | IFAN | September 2020
  • Cash first and infant feeding referral pathways
    Guide to responding to and preventing food insecurity in Scotland| Scottish Government | June 2023 Cash first support for families struggling with high baby formula costs in Scotland | Sky News | February 2024 Reducing food insecurity in UK households with infants | IFAN | December 2023 Helping families who request formula: guidance for food and baby banks | FEED UK
  • Using a cash first approach overseas
    Increasing links between humanitarian cash and social protection for an effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic | British Red Cross | May 2020 Money speaks: reduction in severe food insecurity follow the Canada Child Benefit | Preventative Medicine | December 2019 Smarter aid: why digital cash transfers are the future | Oxfam | May 2017 Cash transfers: help for those who need it most | Department for International Development | January 2017 The effect of DFID's cash transfer programmes on poverty and vulnerability | ICAI | January 2017 Cash-based approaches in humanitarian emergencies: a systematic review | Department for International Development | May 2016 Doing cash differently: how cash transfers can transform humanitarian aid | Overseas Development Institute | September 2015
  • Can you get cash in a crisis?
    Can you get cash in a crisis? | IFAN | February 2024, regularly updated
  • Cash first and the Right to Food
    Turning the tide: Cash First and the Right to Food| IFAN, Sabine Goodwin and Maria Marshall | May 2023
  • Resources linked to 'Worrying About Money?' cash first referral leaflets
    Building Cash First: sharing local lessons to reduce the need for charitable food aid (online panel discussion) | IFAN | February 2023 Oldham Health and Wellbeing Board to release a statement on the health impact of the cost of living crisis | Oldham Council | November 2022 New 'Worrying About Money?' support tool launched in Moray | Moray Council | October 2022 'Worrying About Money?' leaflet launched | North Somerset Council | August 2022 Finding hope in cash first approaches at the bleakest of times | Sabine Goodwin, IFAN for Sustain | February 2022 The Shropshire 'Worrying About Money?' leaflet and starting to shift the conversation around food insecurity | Sophie Padgett, Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance | January 2022 Cornwall's 'Worrying About Money?' leaflet and building momentum for change, Emma Greenwood | The Trussell Trust | December 2021 The safety net beneath the safety net | North East Child Poverty Commission | December 2021 Worrying About Money?: Scotland's cash first referral leaflet – impact findings | ScotCen | November 2021 Ending the need for food banks: consultation on a draft national plan | Scottish Government | October 2021 Promoting a 'cash first' approach to food insecurity in Scotland: lessons from developing 'Worrying About Money?' leaflets | IFAN and Nourish Scotland | June 2021
  • Measuring the impact of a cash first approach to food insecurity
    FILL: Time to measure and monitor local food insecurity | Food Insecurity Monitoring at the Local Level (FILL) | September, 2022
  • News coverage of a cash first approach to food insecurity
    Giving people cash rather than food parcels would empower them | The Guardian | November 2021
  • IFAN's cash first infographics
    IFAN's infographics How to end the need for food banks | IFAN Food waste can't solve food poverty | IFAN As poverty levels increase, #CashFirst is common sense | IFAN Cash First: Ending the need for charitable food aid | IFAN Ending the need for charitable food aid (pyramid) | IFAN Building pathways to income max support | IFAN
  • Cash first events
    Cash First Communities event resources page| IFAN and The Trussell Trust | March 2024 A Cash First Future event resource page | IFAN and the Trussell Trust | March 2023

IFAN works in various ways to promote a cash first approach to food insecurity 

IFAN's vision is of a country without the need for charitable food aid where adequate and nutritious food is affordable to all. IFAN calls on  governments, cross-sector partnerships  and frontline agencies to prioritise a cash first approach to food insecurity.

 

By advocating for systemic changes that would see social security payments and wages match the cost of living and the root causes of food insecurity and poverty addressed.

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By advocating for all local authorities to provide adequate, well-promoted and easy accessible cash payments to people in financial crisis.

 

By co-developing and circulating cash first referral leaflets across multiple local authorities.

 

By supporting their member organisations to use shopping cards or vouchers and/or cash grants instead of or alongside food parcels or other food support.

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By sharing resources, research and information on a cash first approach to food insecurity.

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