The massive rise in food bank use for emergency food (ie the limit of three days rations) is a huge embarrassment to the current government, its the one statistic that bucks the message of growth and equal wealth distribution and the trickle down effect, the one statistic that points and says, "Hang on, something isn't right here".
So the current incumbents act like all politicians do and try and shout down the bad news in that well known politicians rule that if you shout loud enough and all shout together, and probably wave paper in the air too, then it will go away - the well worn explanation wheeled out on this very thread is if you give something for free then people will come and when you advertise something for free then hordes will come.
Its a dumbfook argument and is the equivalent to shouting very loud, putting your fingers in your ears and waving paper in the air for the only relevant fact required in your knowledge of what a food bank does is that its emergency food, three days rations and you can't go back again on the fourth day and in Oliver Twist style ask for more, as a ploy for a constant supply of free food its a fookin stupid idea because by Thursday you'll be hungry again.
As for advertising, do you know what the annual budget is for the Trussell Trust to advertise its food banks is ?
£0 per annum.