Foodbanks gave out 122,000 emergency parcels this year, charity says
The Trussell Trust has also said 21,000 people in Scotland visited a foodbank for the first time
Anti-poverty charity, The Trussell Trust, has said it has given out a "horrifying" number of emergency food parcels to households in Scotland this year.
Its community of food banks distributed 122,000 parcels between April and September.
The charity said this figure includes a total of 40,000 parcels for children facing hunger.
Those most affected were families with children, with 59% of the total number of parcels going to households with children under 16.
The charity also said 21,000 people in Scotland visited a food bank for the first time between April and September.
The total number of parcels provided across Scotland is 7,230 fewer when compared to the same period last year, a 6% decrease.
Trussell says there are a number of possible reasons for this recent small dip, such as an increase in food aid providers across the country, a gradual slowdown in the extortionate price hikes we experienced on food and bills in recent years, and unfreezing Local Housing Allowance, bringing support for private renters in line with actual local rents.
However, Trussell says it's difficult to say if there has been an actual drop in hunger and hardship.
Calls for donations
The number of parcels provided in the first six months of 2024/25 stands at 9% greater than in the same period in 2019.
The charity said that all UK nations saw a small decrease in the numbers of emergency food parcels distributed, with Wales falling by 7%, Northern Ireland by 13%, England by 4%, and the UK by 4%.
The charity has asked for the public to continue to support foodbanks through volunteering, donating, fundraising and campaigning.
It said the Scottish Government should increase the Scottish Child Payment from £26.70 to £40 per week, increase the Scottish Welfare Fund and to continue to pressure the UK Government to scrap the two-child cap.
It also says it should mitigate the two-child cap in the meantime.
Finally, they called upon the Scottish Government to reverse all cuts to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme over the last two years.
'This cannot go on'
Penny Morriss, head of Scotland at Trussell, said: "The sheer numbers of people still facing hunger and hardship across Scotland is heartbreaking. This cannot go on and we refuse to stand by while so many of us are pushed to the brink, left without enough money to live on.
"The UK government was elected with a manifesto pledge to end the need for emergency food and the time to act is now.
"The Scottish Government also has a vital role to play, using all its powers to bring about positive change in Scotland. That's why we are urgently calling on both to plan urgent and decisive action to end hunger once and for all."
Crystal Clayton, manager at Renfrewshire foodbank, added: "It's sobering that more than 122,000 emergency food parcels were provided around Scotland, which is a horrifying amount.
"This cannot go on. Every day, the people we see deal with hardships and challenges. They do not have enough money to live on, even with financial advice and support.
"We must permanently address the issue of people being forced to seek emergency food aid. Foodbanks are not the solution to hunger, and they should never have become accepted as the norm.
"We must see a commitment to ensuring a minimum income for all people and to enhancing the social security systems - that is the only way to end the need for emergency food."
The Scottish Government was contacted for comment.