A record number of emergency parcels have been given out by food banks in Scotland – with bosses at the Trussell Trust saying an “alarming” number of families with children are now relying on the handouts to survive.
The charity called for action to tackle the “hunger and hardship faced by thousands in Scotland” to be “significantly scaled up” over this winter and beyond, as it revealed it had given out 128,490 emergency food packages over the six months between April and September.
This is the most parcels that the organisation has ever distributed at this point in the year, with the total up 9% from the same period in 2022.
Meanwhile, the figures also showed a record 41,878 food parcels were provided for 21,000 children living in families who could not afford the essentials – with this 4% higher than the total for April to September 2022.
The Trussell Trust added that almost three out of five (59%) of the parcels it provided between April and September this year went to families with children.
Polly Jones, head of the Trussell Trust in Scotland, commented: “It is alarming that an increasing number of children in Scotland are growing up in families facing hunger, forced to turn to food banks to survive.
“A generation is growing up believing that it’s normal to see a food bank in every community. This is not right.”
Between April and September, 26,038 people needed such help for the first time, the Trussell Trust added, warning that food banks are at “breaking point” as more and more people find themselves struggling to put food on the table.
As the figures were revealed, Fiona Dalgleish, manager at a Peeblesshire food bank, said: “We are dreading the winter, to be honest.
“Last year was bad enough, but people are now completely exhausted and demoralised on top of being cold and hungry.
“We are feeling pretty helpless – we can provide food, but we need some hope. There needs to be a light at the end of the tunnel for people.”
Ms Jones said that the “rising hunger and hardship” could have “devastating consequences for individuals and our communities”, warning this could “damage the nation’s health and hold back our economy”.
She added: “People in work, as well as people who cannot work, are increasingly being pushed into debt and forced to turn to a food bank to survive.”
While she welcomed the Scottish Government’s support for an Essentials Guarantee – which would require Universal Credit payments to be sufficient to cover all basic essentials – Ms Jones added: “At a time when need for emergency support is greater than ever, the scale of the hunger and hardship faced by thousands in Scotland must be met with significantly scaled-up action this winter and beyond.”
She called for the UK Government to act to ensure benefits rise in line with inflation next April, and said there must also be action “to reduce the burden of debt deductions which drive unacceptable levels of hardship”.
Scottish Labour social justice spokesperson Paul O’Kane demanded action from both Holyrood and Westminster to tackle the growing demand for food banks.
He said: “These shameful figures show how many people across Scotland have reached breaking point.
“Soaring bills and food prices are causing misery for thousands of Scots, but both of our governments have been missing in action.
“We need urgent action at every level of government to tackle the scandal of food poverty in Scotland.”
SNP social justice spokesperson David Linden MP said: “The Tory government has pushed millions of families into poverty by imposing deep welfare cuts and damaging policies like Brexit, which have sent the cost of living in the UK soaring.
“The SNP is doing what it can with limited devolved powers to help households, including measures like the council tax freeze and Scottish Child Payment – and it’s high time the UK Government stepped up to the plate and did its bit to support struggling households.”
A spokesperson for the UK Department of Work and Pensions said: “There are 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty than in 2010, but we know some families are struggling, which is why we are providing a record support package worth £3,300 per household.
“This includes the latest cost of living payments paid directly to over eight million households this year, our decision to raise benefits by over 10% earlier this year and our £2 billion Household Support Fund which is helping people to buy essentials.
“We also know that households are at least £6,000 a year better off in full-time work than out of work on benefits, and to help people out of poverty through work we are also increasing the National Living Wage again and investing £3.5 billion to help thousands into jobs, grow the economy and bear down on inflation.”
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The statistics demonstrate the real life impact of our policy choices – such as the Scottish Child Payment – with the increase in parcels provided in Scotland markedly lower than in other nations of the UK.
“This is only one of a number of policies we are investing £3 billion in this year to tackle poverty and to protect people as far as possible during the cost of living crisis.
“But there are limits to what we can do while the majority of powers over social security lie with Westminster.
“This research shows many people using food banks in Scotland are in debt to the DWP.”
She added: “The UK Government must urgently fix the fundamental flaws with Universal Credit that are driving destitution and food bank use.
“We have called for an Essentials Guarantee to be applied to Universal Credit and other reserved benefits, so social security benefits adequately cover the cost of essentials and better protect the most vulnerable people.”