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Foodbanks in the UK hand out record level of supplies
(WebFG News) - UK foodbanks handed out 13% more supplies to people in crisis last year, according to the Trussell Trust report.
Low income accounted for 28% of the people who access foodbanks, the report found, up from 2% the previous year.
Another growing reason was debt, accounting for 9% of the referrals to foodbanks, from 8% the year before.
The other main reason for referrals was benefit delays (24%) and benefit changes (18%). The majority of the cases for these benefit changes involved the reduction in benefit value or moving to 'a different benefit'.
The trust called for benefit levels to rise in line with inflation to ensure people can cover the cost of living, especially for those who need it most, disabled people and families with children.
Emma Revie, chief executive of The Trussell Trust, said: "As a nation we expect no one should be left hungry or destitute - illness, disability, family breakdown or the loss of a job could happen to any of us, and we owe it to each other to make sure sufficient financial support is in place when we need it most.
"Universal credit is the future of our benefits system. It's vital we get it right, and ensure levels of payment keep pace with the rising cost of essentials, particularly for groups of people we know are already more likely to need a foodbank - disabled people, people dealing with an illness, families with children and single parents," she concluded.