Requests for GroceryAid support ‘up 93%’

GroceryAid’s Impact Report for 2023/24 has revealed a frightening 93% increase in requests for its support in the past year.

Industry charity GroceryAid’s latest Impact Report has revealed an astonishing 93% rise in demand for its vital financial, emotional and practical support as industry colleagues continued to struggle with cost-of-living challenges.

The charity spent more than £6m helping colleagues in the past year, including £364,306 in financial grants awarded to independent retailers, according to the 2023/24 Impact Report. In total, GroceryAid provided more than 78,000 incidents of support in the last year.

More than 22,000 colleagues visited GroceryAid’s cost-of-living web page in 2023/24, with GroceryAid’s Grants Officers dealing with a 57% increase in colleagues receiving non-repayable financial grants in the past year.

There was also a 44% rise in grants awarded to support those leaving domestic abuse situations. The charity’s School Essentials Grant also meant that 5,926 children benefitted from a £150 payout, helping families to ensure that their children started the new school year with new uniforms and equipment.

For more complex issues, GroceryAid also partnered with Shelter Plus, who provided 184 hours of advice to support those colleagues with legal issues around housing.

As well as providing financial grants, GroceryAid also ensures that colleagues are provided with the right information to help manage their finances moving forward. As a result, last year it also issued more than 5,000 Personal Action Plans to help colleagues budget and plan.

The charity’s free and confidential helpline also saw a 22% increase in calls from colleagues looking for emotional and practical support. Qualified counsellors provided more than 5,000 in-the-moment counselling sessions – 11% more than the previous year.

The report noted a 108% increase in colleagues accessing support for problem gambling, while more than 1,500 colleagues accessed online self-help and CBT guided sessions. There was also a 25% increase in family and relationship counselling and a 48% increase in demand for legal advice – with one in three cases related to family law.

Incidents of practical support through GroceryAid’s Telephone Information Specialists also increased by 27% last year, with financial advice being the most common request.