Food bank use expected to spike as cost-of-living crisis bites

Almost 200,000 food parcels were handed out in Scotland between April 2021 and March 2022, fresh figures from the Trussell Trust show.

This was a 17 per cent reduction on emergency food parcels required in 2019-20, in part due to community-based groups which emerged during the pandemic meaning fewer accessed the Trussell Trust network.

But the figure is a third higher than five years ago and food banks warn the problem could get worse as the cost-of-living crisis begins to impact family budgets.

Over 70,000 of the parcels in the last year were provided for children.

Polly Jones, head of Scotland at the Trussell Trust, said: “No one should be pushed deeper into poverty without enough money for the things we all need. And yet people are telling us they’re skipping meals to feed their children and turning off the heating so they can afford internet access for their kids to do their homework. 

  “This isn’t right – and food banks in our network are telling us this is only set to get worse as their communities are pushed deeper into financial hardship. No one’s income should fall so dangerously low that they cannot afford to stay fed, warm and dry.”

The charity is urging the UK government to uprate benefits to meet rising bill costs.

It also said the Scottish Government must do all it can within its powers to support those on the lowest incomes.