Scottish foodbank use has risen again to record levels, according to new figures published by the Trussell Trust.
The Trust’s 52 Scottish foodbanks provided 145,865 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis – including 47,955 for children – during the 2016/17 financial year. This is a nine per cent increase on the year before.
The Christian charity, the largest provider of foodbanks in Scotland (many of them run from local churches), also said that for the first time low income has become the biggest single reason for referral to a Scottish foodbank, accounting for a quarter of all referrals.
It also released a report raising fears about the new Universal Credit benefit, saying that foodbanks in areas where the new system has been rolled out are reporting significant problems.
Ewan Gurr, Scotland Network Manager for the Trussell Trust, said: “The discovery that foodbanks in Scotland gave out enough emergency food to feed the entire population of Dundee for three days is deeply worrying and the reasons underpinning this are just as concerning.
“Despite nine Scottish local authorities showing a decrease in foodbank use six months ago, it is clear that a cold Christmas, the rollout of Universal Credit and the ever-increasing pressure on the pockets of low income individuals and families is yielding bitter outcomes.
“Worrying stories emanating from foodbanks highlight the reality that a 12month inflation rate of 2.3% and benefit delays attributed to the rollout of Universal Credit are leaving men, women and children up and down the country sitting at the dinner table with no food in front of them.”