A record number of adults and children relied upon food
banks in Scotland in December, according to new figures obtained by the BBC. Nearly
10,500 people visited the Trussell Trust's 48 food banks for the first time in
the charity's history.
The data also reveals a third of users cited low income -
and not welfare benefit delays - for their predicament. 3,005 people (28%) said
they used a Scottish food bank due to low income in December, closely followed
by 2,527 (24%) because of a benefit delay, and 1,555 (15%) due to a benefit
change. The Clyde, Avon and Nethan food bank reported that 77% of people given
a food package in December cited low income as the main contributing factor. Many
users visiting the food banks at Airdrie and Lochaber also blamed low incomes
(50% and 48% respectively.)
The figure is a 13% increase from the 9,263 people who used
a Trussell Trust food bank in December 2013. In December 2014, 10,489 people
visiting Scottish food banks were given a three day supply of nutritionally
balanced food by the charity - a third of them children. The charity underlined
that the final figure for December visits is likely to be even higher as food
bank staff continue to input data into their system.
Ewan Gurr, the charity's network manager for Scotland, said
he was concerned that many low income families were forced to face hunger in
the run-up to Christmas due to financial difficulties. He said: "Every day
we are hearing working people describe the devastating reality of sustaining
their families with static incomes and unstable employment against consistently
rising costs of essentials like food and rent. In the most harrowing accounts,
we hear from the families choosing whether to prioritise heating their homes or
feeding their families and parents losing weight because they overlook their
own health and wellbeing to feed their children."
The Trust, which partners with churches and communities,
currently operates more than 1,200 food distribution centres across the UK. The
Trust's figures also reveal Dundee had the highest number of adults (3,750)
using food banks in the last year, while south east Glasgow had the highest
number of children (1,975).
A government document published last month suggested low
income families may face increasing financial difficulties in the future. According
to the report, approximately 820,000 people were living in relative poverty in
2013 - an increase of 110,000 from the previous year. This increase in relative
poverty - where someone lives in a household that receives less than 60% of the
UK average income - was attributed to a continued fall in incomes. The report
concluded: "Low wage growth (particularly for those in less skilled
employment), changes in the labour market, and tightening of eligibility and
conditionality under welfare reform have resulted in lower median income."
I consider charity as really an insult to the government, the more there is charity, the more it makes it clear the uselessness of the government is. A government responsibility passed on to the people is called, charity.
ReplyDeleteWorkers Union can establish cooperative that can act as Food Bank and Thrift Store, since the bulk of this donations came from the workers themselves anyway.
" I work so I don't have to rely on the pity of others"____ a simple worker
sarda
an Ordinarian