FOODBANKS in Scotland are experiencing record demand, with benefits delays the most common reason for people to turn to the service.
Figures from the Trussell Trust also reveal disproportionate demand for foodbanks in Scotland.
The Christian charity received more than 133,000 referrals for men, women and children in Scotland during in the 12 months to the end of March 2016.
Referrals were up 13 per cent compared to the previous year, despite Trussell Trust opening only one new centre - a foodbank in Dumfriesshire.
It takes the total network of foodbanks to 51.
READ MORE: To end food poverty, we need to turn to the true poverty experts, the poor themselves
Ewan Gurr, Scotland network manager for the Trussell Trust, said the figures were “alarming”.
He added: “The main increase has been to the numbers on low incomes, which is leaving people without enough to live on.
“In addition to that, almost half of referrals in Scotland are due to a benefit-related difficulty.
In Scotland, we have heard from people using foodbanks due to the heart-breaking reality of losing a job in the oil and steel industries, others feeling a sense of despair after delays to a Universal Credit payment and some who have experienced sanctions that have impacted on their physical and mental wellbeing.
“We encourage our policy makers to listen to those using foodbanks and learn from their experiences. This way we can ensure the right changes are prioritised to help reduce the hunger and poverty we see in foodbanks every day.”
North Lanarkshire experienced the highest increase in demand over the past year, with referrals up 121 per cent year-on-year.
The data shows that benefit delays remain the biggest primary reason for referral to a Trussell Trust foodbank in Scotland.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) of all referrals were due to a benefit delay, although this was down from 30 per cent in 2014/15.
However, the percentage of referrals received due to a low income is up from 19 per cent last year to 22 this year - equivalent to 2,845 cases.
READ MORE: To end food poverty, we need to turn to the true poverty experts, the poor themselves
Trussell Trust foodbanks provide a three day supply of nutritionally balanced food and support to people in crisis. Many centres also host additional services like debt and financial advice, holiday lunch and breakfast clubs
A survey of Scottish foodbanks anecdotally indicated that insecure employment, low wages, delayed wages and problems accessing working benefits are among the main causes for referrals.
Scottish foodbanks continue to report the impact of sanctions and the variety of delays and changes to benefits, while some have also reported an increase in new referrals due to delays in Universal Credit payments.
The figures also demonstrate that Scotland is second only to the North West of England in terms of the number of referrals to foodbanks.
READ MORE: To end food poverty, we need to turn to the true poverty experts, the poor themselves
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