The Stream

Donations to UK food bank surge after ‘exposé’

Online backlash over Mail on Sunday article alleging abuses at Trussell Trust sparks charitable spree.

An undercover exposé criticising the UK’s biggest food bank charity has actually led to a spike in donations. British publication Mail on Sunday alleges that “scroungers” were abusing the Trussel Trust charity and taking food parcels without proof of unemployment. The piece also disputes the Trust’s claims about the extent of the UK’s welfare crisis. 

Since the article’s publication, the Trust has received more than $80,000 (£50,000) in donations. 

Many online reacted angrily to the methods used by the publication and said it discredited the work of an important charity. Some mistakenly directed criticism toward The Daily Mail, a separate newspaper owned by the same media company.