One in seven people in the UK faced hunger in the last year - study finds
The cost of living crisis is being attributed.
The Trussell Trust said it's survey results in the middle of last year equated to an estimated 11.3 million people - more than double Scotland's population.
The findings were described by the charity - which runs more than 1,200 food bank centres across its network covering around two thirds of the food banks in the UK - as "just the tip of the iceberg".
The organisation found that while around 7% of the UK population was supported by charitable food support in the year to mid-2022, 71% of people facing food insecurity said they had not yet accessed any form of such support.
Earlier this year the trust reported record food bank use, with those in its network distributing almost three million parcels in the year to April 2023 - the most distributed in a single year and a 37% increase on 2021/22.
The trust said it used household food insecurity as an indicator of hardship "as it is an internationally recognised indicator of hunger".
The charity said the majority (89%) of people referred to food banks in its network receive a means-tested benefit such as universal credit but it did not provide enough to cover the cost of essentials.
They also said while many people would like to work some face difficulty accessing jobs, including disabled people and carers as well as parents who cannot find affordable childcare.
It's a similar story in Cumbria. Steph Humes runs the Carlisle Food Bank, she said: "There are a few individuals that we have helped on a one off occasion in the past few months. They have been hit by unexpected bills, or their partner going to hospital or becoming ill.
"They just generally are struggling with the cost of living crisis because everything is going up. That includes rent, petrol and the cost of food.
"We have seen an increase in demand. We've noticed that in the last couple of months we're seeing a lot more new faces, a lot more new users of our emergency services.
"We're also seeing a lot more larger families."
Among its findings, the trust said three quarters of people referred to food banks in its network said they or a member of their household is disabled, while nearly half (47%) of all households experiencing food insecurity included children under the age of 16.
The charity has repeated its call for the Government to introduce an "essentials guarantee", changing legislation to ensure the basic rate of universal credit is always enough for people to afford the essentials such as food and bills.
Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said: "Being forced to turn to a food bank to feed your family is a horrifying reality for too many people in the UK, but as (this report) Hunger In The UK shows, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Millions more people are struggling with hunger.
"This is not right. Food banks are not the answer when people are going without the essentials in one of the richest economies in the world.
"We need a social security system which provides protection and the dignity for people to cover their own essentials, such as food and bills."
Ms Revie said research is "vital" to provide the evidence needed "to be able to change systems, policies and practices so that no one is left unable to afford the essentials".
She added: "We know that if all of us work together, we can end the need for food banks. It's time to guarantee our essentials and create a roadmap to solve this once and for all."