Event: Impact of benefit changes on the food security of vulnerable people

People with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, in addiction recovery, or those who struggle with their mental health are known to have poorer health outcomes, but their particular vulnerability to hunger and food insecurity stems from a constantly changing welfare system and problems of accessibility, including within our emergency support structures such as Foodbanks.

This event, jointly hosted by Feeding Liverpool and Mencap Liverpool & Sefton, will work to unpack these issues, with the intention of creating better outcomes for vulnerable people in our region.

Using the stories and experiences of people with learning disability, the aims of this event are to:

• Improve practice by raising awareness of accessibility issues for vulnerable people.
• Improve policy through raising awareness of issues of poorer health and nutrition for people with a learning disability, and furthering the debate about learning disabilities and the welfare system.
• Improve public opinion based on a deeper understanding of the issues facing vulnerable people, including those with learning disability.

The event will be of interest to:

• Practitioners in the provision of community food support – foodbanks, community cafes, social enterprises, community and faith groups, community shops and cooperatives. We hope that you will leave the event with an understanding of the issues facing those with learning disabilities, and with some practical actions you can take to improve your practice.
• Organisations supporting people with learning disability, mental health, addiction recovery or other vulnerable situations. We hope this event will give you the opportunity to share your experiences of the system, to raise awareness of issues facing the people we support and to work together on better policy outcomes.
• Policy makers and public agencies who want to improve the outcomes for vulnerable people, or who can influence wider policy change by working as part of a network of providers. We hope this event will give you the opportunity to connect with others within these systems of support, hear from experts by experience and work together on better policy outcomes.