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# Why Is the UK Government Telling People to Stockpile?
- URL: https://www.gessymorgan.com/uk-government-stockpile-advice/
- Published: 2026-10-26T12:50:35.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-26T12:50:35.000Z
- Description: The UK's new Be Ready campaign asks households to keep three days of water, food and basics. Here is what ministers said, what the official checklist includes and why it launched now.
- Author: Gessy Morgan
- Tags: World

⚡

**The short version**
- On October 22, 2026 the Cabinet Office launched Be Ready, asking UK households to be able to cope alone for three days if services are disrupted.
- The checklist includes 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, no-cook food, a torch, a wind-up or battery radio, cash and medicines.
- Ministers say it is not about panic buying; critics say the government should fix defence and resilience first, while early reports show a calm public response.

The UK government is not warning of a specific threat. On October 22, 2026, the Cabinet Office launched **Be Ready**, new official advice asking households to keep enough bottled water, long-life food and basic supplies to cope on their own for three days if everyday services such as power, water, phones or the internet are disrupted. Ministers say the aim is resilience against storms, cyber-attacks and other shocks, not panic buying.

As of October 26, 2026, the guidance sits on the official [Be Ready website](https://beready.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies?ref=localhost) and is the first stage of a three-year public campaign. Below is what was said, who said it, what the checklist asks for and how people have reacted.

## What exactly did the government say?

The advice was published on Thursday, October 22, together with a [Cabinet Office announcement](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/households-encouraged-to-take-small-simple-steps-to-stay-prepared-in-an-emergency?ref=localhost) and a written statement to Parliament from Security Minister Dan Jarvis. The core message: households should be ready to manage for three days, the same benchmark the government says France, Ireland and the Netherlands already use.

The announcement highlights two main actions. Sign up to the free Priority Services Register if you are eligible, and keep a small supply of non-perishable food and bottled water at home. Jarvis said preparing helps emergency services focus on people in greatest need. "Those who can follow this advice should follow this advice," he said.

The official guidance does not use the word "stockpile". The headlines did. The Be Ready site stresses that many steps cost nothing and that "You don't need to do it all at once." It suggests adding items gradually during normal shopping.

## Who has been talking about it?

The launch was deliberately low-key to avoid alarm, according to [The National](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2026/10/23/uk-government-advises-stockpiling-water-and-food/?ref=localhost). It still became a national talking point within hours as senior figures were questioned about it.

- **Defence Secretary Wes Streeting** told BBC Question Time on October 22 that the government wants people to be "alert but not alarmed". He said other European countries are "way ahead of us on some of this stuff", [HuffPost UK reported](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/wes-streeting-stockpile-scaremongering%5Fuk%5F6adb1361e4b04787f03a65c4?ref=localhost).
- **Prime Minister Andy Burnham**, speaking in Liverpool on October 23 after a wildfire resilience summit, said "it's not about panic buying" and that "unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common", [Anadolu Agency reported](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/british-premier-urges-uk-households-to-stockpile-water-food-amid-rising-risks/4098680?ref=localhost). He also said his own cupboard holds beans, soup and Twiglets.
- **Paymaster General James Murray** told Sky News that "Individual households can play their role in making sure that they're more resilient," while stressing the government's own role in defence, The National reported.

## What is on the Be Ready checklist?

The [official checklist](https://beready.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies?ref=localhost) is built around three days. The main items are:

- **Water:** 3 litres per person per day for drinking, which means 9 litres per person for three days. Cooking and washing need extra.
- **Food:** three days of long-life food that needs no fridge or cooking, such as tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. The site suggests buying food your household normally eats.
- **Light and warmth:** a torch with spare batteries, blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothes. "Torches are safer than candles," the guidance notes.
- **Information and power:** a battery or wind-up FM radio and a charged power bank.
- **Money and paperwork:** some cash and cards, paper copies of ID and insurance details, and a written list of emergency contacts and medicines.
- **Health and hygiene:** a first aid kit, essential medicines, hand sanitiser, wipes and toiletries.
- **Babies and pets:** ready-to-feed formula, nappies and wipes, plus food and bottled water for pets.

The site also recommends checking supplies every six months for expiry dates, signing up for local alerts and checking flood risk. In an immediate emergency, the advice is still to call 999\. This is general information only; the Be Ready site is the official reference for your household.

![Fact card showing the Be Ready campaign launched October 22, 2026, asks households to cope alone for three days with 3 litres of water per person per day.](https://www.gessymorgan.com/content/images/2026/10/uk-government-stockpile-advice-facts.png)

The Be Ready advice at a glance. Sources: GOV.UK Cabinet Office, Be Ready

## Why now? The resilience background

The campaign has been building for more than a year. The government's Resilience Action Plan, published in July 2025, set out a "whole of society" approach. In its foreword, Pat McFadden, then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, suggested people might stock up on basics such as bottled water and a torch, [Professional Security reported](https://professionalsecurity.co.uk/news/government/resilience-action-plan/?ref=localhost).

In August 2026 the Cabinet Office published its [2026 preparedness survey](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-public-survey-of-risk-perception-resilience-and-preparedness-2026/uk-public-survey-of-risk-perception-resilience-and-preparedness-2026-headline-findings-html?ref=localhost) of more than 10,000 UK adults. Only 13% said their household was largely or totally prepared for an emergency. On the 3-litre measure, just 4% had three or more days of drinking water and 82% had less than a day's supply. Cost, worry about items expiring and not knowing what to do were the most common barriers.

Food supply is another driver. On September 4, 2026, the National Audit Office said risks to the food supply chain, from extreme weather to cyber-attacks, are "increasing in likelihood and severity", [FarmingUK reported](https://www.farminguk.com/news/uk-food-chain-not-ready-for-major-shocks-watchdog-warns%5F69083.html?ref=localhost). The watchdog said Defra was less confident that industry could cope with major shocks unaided, and said future household preparedness work should include clear food-resilience guidance.

Events that week added urgency. Burnham pointed to storms hitting the UK, saying "we feel for the people without power in Cornwall right now", PA reported. Some government online services were also taken offline after a newly disclosed PHP software flaw, [PA reported](https://www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/national/26662773.streeting-urges-public-alert-not-alarmed-amid-call-stock-crisis/?ref=localhost); see our explainer on the [php2shell vulnerability](https://www.gessymorgan.com/php2shell-php-vulnerability-explained/).

Europe is part of the picture. In March 2025 the European Commission urged EU members to help citizens be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in a crisis, [Euronews reported](https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/26/brussels-ask-eu-citizens-to-put-together-a-72-hour-emergency-kit-to-face-crises?ref=localhost). The National, citing Bloomberg, reported that the UK campaign was first planned under Keir Starmer and held back by Burnham early in his premiership.

![Timeline from the July 2025 Resilience Action Plan to the October 2026 launch of the Be Ready advice and ministers' comments.](https://www.gessymorgan.com/content/images/2026/10/uk-government-stockpile-advice-timeline.png)

How the Be Ready advice came about. Sources: GOV.UK, FarmingUK, HuffPost UK, Anadolu Agency, Professional Security

## How have people reacted?

### Political criticism, and some support

Conservative shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns said preparing for emergencies is important, but "the Government should get its own house in order before lecturing the public", [PA reported](https://www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/national/26662773.streeting-urges-public-alert-not-alarmed-amid-call-stock-crisis/?ref=localhost). Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said rural households already plan for power cuts and argued ministers should focus on defence: "What I want to see is the Government doing what it needs to do to look after us," she told [PA](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/burnham-defends-stockpiling-advice-unexpected-102235023.html?ref=localhost).

Not every opposition voice objected. Shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat called the advice "a perfectly reasonable thing to ask people".

### Retailers and panic-buying fears

Before the launch, Jim Bligh of the British Retail Consortium told MPs that "Panic buying is quite easy to generate", The National reported, recalling empty shelves in March 2020\. On Question Time, an audience member asked Streeting: "Don't you think that's just scaremongering?"

So far, reporting points to calm. [The Guardian reported](https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/realistic-reassuring-uk-public-responding-172218000.html?ref=localhost) rising sales at specialist preparedness shops but no evidence of widespread panic stockpiling. One shop owner said he received a typical month's orders on the campaign's first day.

### Charities and experts

The British Red Cross backed the campaign. Laura Scott, its director for UK resilience, said: "We can't control when emergencies happen, but we can all take some simple steps to be prepared." Psychologist Dr Sarita Robinson of the University of Lancashire told the Guardian the advice was "realistic, quite low level" and argued that hiding information is what tends to cause problems.

![Bar chart showing 13% of UK adults feel prepared, 4% hold three days of drinking water, 82% hold under one day, 60% have three days of no-cook food and 29% cite cost as a barrier.](https://www.gessymorgan.com/content/images/2026/10/uk-government-stockpile-advice-chart.png)

How prepared are UK households?. Source: UK Public Survey of Risk Perception, Resilience and Preparedness 2026 (GOV.UK)

## Our take

Based on the official documents, this is a long-planned public information campaign, not a reaction to a specific new threat. The government's own survey explains the push: very few households hold three days of drinking water. The detail many headlines missed is the advice to build supplies slowly, which is the opposite of a rush to the shops.

The political argument is real but fairly narrow. Most critics accept the advice itself and instead question whether the government is doing enough on defence, energy and food resilience. That debate is likely to carry into the autumn Budget, which The National says is due next week.

## What to watch next

- Social media and radio adverts aimed at families with young children and older people, which the Cabinet Office says will follow in the coming months.
- How the 500-plus partner organisations, from charities to businesses, share the advice locally.
- The government's response to the NAO's food supply recommendations.
- Any signs of unusual demand for bottled water in supermarkets.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the UK government telling people to stockpile?

Not in the panic-buying sense. The official Be Ready guidance asks households to keep enough supplies to manage for three days and to build them up gradually during normal shopping. The guidance itself does not use the word stockpile.

### How much water does the UK government recommend storing?

Be Ready recommends 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, so 9 litres per person for three days. Extra water is needed for cooking, washing and pets. Full details are on beready.campaign.gov.uk.

### Why is the UK government asking people to prepare now?

Ministers cite storms, wildfires, cyber-attacks and other disruption. A 2026 government survey found only 4% of people had three days of drinking water, and the National Audit Office warned in September that food supply risks are rising. The government says the three-day message matches France, Ireland and the Netherlands.

### What is the Priority Services Register?

It is a free register that tells your electricity, gas and water providers you may need extra support, including during supply interruptions. Many households are eligible, including those with children under 5\. Sign-up details are linked from the Be Ready site.

### Is there a specific threat behind the Be Ready campaign?

The government has not pointed to a specific imminent threat. It describes Be Ready as a three-year campaign to improve everyday resilience, building on advice first published in May 2024.

## Sources

1. [Be ready for emergencies: get prepared](https://beready.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies?ref=localhost), GOV.UK (Cabinet Office)
2. [Households encouraged to take small, simple steps to stay prepared in an emergency](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/households-encouraged-to-take-small-simple-steps-to-stay-prepared-in-an-emergency?ref=localhost), GOV.UK (Cabinet Office)
3. [UK Public Survey of Risk Perception, Resilience and Preparedness 2026: headline findings](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-public-survey-of-risk-perception-resilience-and-preparedness-2026/uk-public-survey-of-risk-perception-resilience-and-preparedness-2026-headline-findings-html?ref=localhost), GOV.UK (Cabinet Office)
4. [UK government advises stockpiling water and food](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2026/10/23/uk-government-advises-stockpiling-water-and-food/?ref=localhost), The National
5. [British premier urges UK households to stockpile water, food amid rising risks](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/british-premier-urges-uk-households-to-stockpile-water-food-amid-rising-risks/4098680?ref=localhost), Anadolu Agency
6. [Minister Rejects 'Scaremongering' Claims As He Tells Brits To Stockpile](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/wes-streeting-stockpile-scaremongering%5Fuk%5F6adb1361e4b04787f03a65c4?ref=localhost), HuffPost UK
7. [Burnham defends stockpiling advice as 'unexpected events' become more common](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/burnham-defends-stockpiling-advice-unexpected-102235023.html?ref=localhost), PA Media via Yahoo News UK
8. [Streeting urges public be 'alert not alarmed' amid call to stock up for a crisis](https://www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/national/26662773.streeting-urges-public-alert-not-alarmed-amid-call-stock-crisis/?ref=localhost), PA Media via Peeblesshire News
9. ['Realistic and reassuring': UK public 'responding calmly' to Be Ready campaign](https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/realistic-reassuring-uk-public-responding-172218000.html?ref=localhost), The Guardian via AOL
10. [UK food chain not ready for major shocks, watchdog warns](https://www.farminguk.com/news/uk-food-chain-not-ready-for-major-shocks-watchdog-warns%5F69083.html?ref=localhost), FarmingUK
11. [Resilience Action Plan](https://professionalsecurity.co.uk/news/government/resilience-action-plan/?ref=localhost), Professional Security Magazine
12. [Brussels asks EU citizens to put together a 72-hour emergency kit to face crises](https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/26/brussels-ask-eu-citizens-to-put-together-a-72-hour-emergency-kit-to-face-crises?ref=localhost), Euronews

## How we wrote this

GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 12 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 26, 2026, and we update the post when they change.