Reconsider Trussell Trust foodbank dataset

[zarino]

We’ve always known that displaying just Trussell Trust foodbanks is a poor proxy for poverty in a constituency, since there might be other foodbanks operated by other providers.

Today we had anonymous feedback from a user in High Peak, saying just as much:

Looking at the data for the High Peak, the use of the Trussell Trust data for food banks grossly underestimates the number. I appreciate the need for national consistency but this seems to be somewhat misleading. There are active food banks in every town and most villages, but the figure you have is zero. Check out https://www.ruralactionderbyshire.org.uk/foodbanks

I remember last time we looked at this, there was no comprehensive (multi-provider) list or dataset of feedbanks across the UK. I wonder whether that’s still the case?

I also note that the HoC Library, on their page about Food Banks, warns:

Food bank statistics should not be used as a proxy for the measurement of poverty. For statistics on poverty, see the House of Commons Library briefing Poverty in the UK: statistics. The comprehensiveness and accuracy of food bank data, and the number of food aid outlets in existence, will affect food bank figures regardless of any changes in poverty levels.

Are we just inviting mis-use / mis-interpretation by providing the Trussell Trust dataset with no further explanation?