16.10.12
110,000 people using food banks in UK
The use of food banks in the UK has significantly increased as the cost of living rises, a charity has reported.
The Trussell Trust, which runs 270 food banks across the UK, has fed almost 110,000 people since April, compared to 128,697 in the whole of 2011/12. In 2012/13 it expects to feed over 200,000 as food and fuel bills are set to rise this winter.
The charity provides at least three days’ worth of nutritionally-balanced food for local people in crisis. Individuals must be referred by doctors, social workers or a schools liaison office to receive support.
Adrian Curtis, food bank network director for the trust, said: “It’s a combination of more need and more awareness. We’re seeing more and more people on a low income using a food bank.
“They're not necessarily people who are welfare dependent. They're working families but can't afford to buy their way out of hard times.”
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