"People aren't getting enough money to afford the essentials."
The Valleys Lead went to Pontyclun to speak to a local foodbank about why so many families are reaching crisis point.
Hello and welcome to The Valleys Lead.
It has been quite the week for Wales with the Senedd election results, and more excitement is to come as the Welsh Parliament convenes.
But we are moving on from our election coverage to bring you a story about food poverty in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which could be a story about any county in the south Wales valleys. The story is below.
If you want to share about food poverty near you - perhaps if you have experienced it personally, volunteered at a foodbank, or know of community initiatives to combat it - we’d love to hear from you at valleys@thelead.uk.
Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who has been in touch thus far with story tips. Rest assured, if you come to me with a story, discretion can be guaranteed. We’d love you to get in touch at valleys@thelead.uk or via Bluesky or Instagram with any stories you might have for us.
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The Valleys Briefing
(A little round-up of some stories in brief from our valleys.)
Alex Davies-Jones, Labour MP for Pontypridd and Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, resigned from her role yesterday as she joins others calling for the Prime Minister to resign. In her resignation letter she wrote: “It is with a very, heavy heart that I feel I have no choice but to resign. The scale of the electoral defeats at the Senedd Cymru and across the United Kingdom have been catastrophic. The country has spoken and we must listen. We waited 14 years to get into power and change the lives of those we represent. The time now is for bold, radical action. I know you to be a good and honest man. I implore you to act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure.”
In Merthyr Tydfil, a plan has been formed to deal with parking issues around Cyfarthfa Park Primary School on Brecon Road. A report has highlighted how drivers parking at school time on the road causes traffic flow issues and reduces visibility for drivers. To alleviate the parking issues and improve safety, it is being recommended that loading and unloading at any time is prohibited. If you would like to talk to The Valleys Lead about parking/loading and unloading/safety around schools near you, please do get in touch with us at valleys@thelead.uk.
Alun Davies, a long-serving Labour MS for Blaenau Gwent, wasn’t elected in last week’s Senedd election. There isn’t one Labour MS representing the county. After election results were announced, he reflected on why Labour has suffered such a defeat in Wales: “This is the first time in modern history where there is no Labour representatives elected in the valleys of Gwent. Labour has clearly lost the trust of the people from whom we were born. It happens because the party has lost its way and its ability to speak for and with the people we sought to represent. This is also a defeat manufactured in Downing Street. It’s clear to me from the conversations I had over the last few months that Downing Street has walked away from the people that we are seen to represent. If Welsh Labour is serious about turning a corner, it needs to recognise that its own organisation has been part of the problem in this campaign. We cannot simply have a reset – we need to look hard at what we are and what we seek to do. Welsh Labour needs to stand up for Wales, whoever is in Downing Street, or we are nothing. Welsh Labour must rediscover what Welsh Labour was born to be and to do.”
“People aren’t getting enough money to afford the essentials.”
Tucked away in an industrial estate in Pontyclun is a foodbank packing and distribution centre preparing parcels for people in crisis.
Since opening in 2010, this foodbank in Rhondda Cynon Taf has “gotten busier and busier” each year, with food poverty “skyrocketing” during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Matthew Stevens, one of the staff at the foodbank.
“Since then, need has remained consistently high,” Matthew told The Valleys Lead.
Rhondda Cynon Taf, the county in which Pontyclun is located, is one of the most deprived counties in Wales, where 23.4% of people are living in poverty as compared to the 21.5% Wales average, and where Trussell foodbanks distributed over 16,500 food parcels in 2024/25. The county consistently ranks towards the top of The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, and 22% of pupils in the County Borough are eligible for Free School Meals compared to the Wales average of 20.3%.
This comes as no surprise to Matthew.
“What we are seeing is that social security – whether that be Universal Credit, Carer’s Allowance, or Disability Support – isn’t covering the essentials,” Matthew said. “These payments haven’t kept pace with the cost of living.”
While not as common, there are a number of people who access foodbank who are working – typically those who are on zero-hour or part-time contracts.
“At the end of the month, their pay packet isn’t covering essentials,” he said.
Everything has gone up in price, and yet social security payments and salaries haven’t risen at the same rate, leaving people debating whether to go hungry or pay their bills.
“When you’re faced with various essentials you’ve got to cover, it’s easier to cut out food than to not pay your water or electricity bill,” Matthew said. “People are having to make really difficult choices.”
Matthew said that on average, about 85% of people who access their foodbank are those who rely solely on benefits.
