Surrey foodbank warns cost-of-living crisis is causing rise in demand
The number of emergency food parcels handed out across the UK in a single year has reached its highest level, at more than three million.
There's a rising demand on foodbanks in Surrey, local charities warn.
New figures by the Trussell Trust reveals an increase for packages for both adults and children, with the total almost doubling over five years.
There were 3,121,404 parcels distributed by food banks in its network up to the end of March, made up of 1,977,308 for adults and 1,144,096 for children.
The charity said first-time users - of which there were 655,000 in that 12-month period - were down slightly on last year but up 40% from five years ago.
Parcels going to households that had someone of pension age living there were up by more than a quarter (27%) to 179,000, the organisation said, noting that older people, especially renters, were "finding themselves unable to afford essentials and facing hunger and severe hardship".
Woking Foodbank says they've seen a 5% reduction from last year - but overall numbers are going up.
Alison Buckland, Project Coordinator said: “I think there are a lot of reasons why people are using a food bank these days. A lot of people lost their jobs during Covid, they don't have savings necessarily anymore. Perhaps family support has dried up. And I think people get a big bill and they just don't have the sort of wherewithal behind them.
“I think a lot of people also have got into situations with debt and I think deductions from benefits as well has an impact on people. There just isn't enough coming in compared to what needs to go out.”
The Trussell Trust has called on political parties to commit, ahead of a general election, to tackling the problem, urging them to back a "supportive social security system" and better support for parents, carers and people with disabilities who can face increased living costs.
Emma Revie, its chief executive, said: "It's 2024 and we're facing historically high levels of food bank need. As a society, we cannot allow this to continue. We must not let food banks become the new norm.
"As we approach the next UK General Election, we urgently need all political leaders to set out how they will build a future where no one needs a food bank to survive.
Voters want to see a change and we need cross-government action at all levels to deliver it. We know what's pushing people to food banks, so we know what needs to change."
The Government said its cost-of-living support package had prevented 1.3 million people falling into poverty in 2022-23 and reiterated that it had uprated benefits, raised the state pension and was "raising the National Living Wage, cutting taxes and driving down inflation while investing billions through our Back to Work Plan".
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