MINISTERS are being urged to use new powers to top up benefits as new figures show the number of children in a local authority area relying on foodbanks has soared a quarter within weeks.

Campaigners said new powers to Holyrood could boost family incomes, including topping-up child benefit by £5 a week, which they claim would also reduce rates of child poverty in Scotland by up to 14 per cent.

Renfrewshire Council said new statistics revealing a rise in the number of families in the area being fed through foodbanks was evidence that changes in benefits and delays to payments were biting.

Read more: £52.7m boost to Scotland from film and TV in 2015

Leader of the Labour-led council has now called for Scottish ministers to use its devolved powers to mitigate the effects of the UK Government’s

policies.

Mark Macmillan said: “The UK Government’s drastic welfare cuts are creating a perfect storm that is forcing more people and more families into poverty, which is simply unacceptable.

"I would urge the Scottish Government to use its devolved powers for the benefit of those who need it most and help tackle child poverty across all regions in Scotland to provide much needed support and reassurance to those currently struggling on the breadline.

Statistics revealed by the council show that the number of children receiving foodbank assistance had jumped from 355 to 437, or 23 per cent, in just three months, correlating with a rise in the number of benefit changes and delays to payments in the area.

It said that between July and September there has been a marked rise in the number of foodbank vouchers distributed, with changes and delays to benefits a factor in 40 per cent of cases.

Read more: £52.7m boost to Scotland from film and TV in 2015

The council also said that travelling to foodbanks was an issue for a number of people, with the authority making available a £14,500 grant f to help families and those on low incomes get home on public transport with their food parcels.

John Dickie, Director of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said: “Local and national government must work together to ensure families left without money to put food on the table are getting the social security benefits and the Scottish Welfare Fund support they are entitled, preventing wherever possible any need for a visit to the foodbank."

Elizabeth Alexander, manager at Renfrewshire Foodbank, said: “"An increasing number of families are finding themselves in situations where they need to use our services. We were finding that many of those who came to the service faced a long walk home as they did not even have the money to get home on public transport with their food bags.

"The changes in benefits and delays to payments are having a real impact on more children than ever before and we expect this situation only to worsen in the future."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Renfrewshire Council is right to highlight the damage being caused by the UK Government’s welfare cuts and benefits sanctions which have pushed more people into crisis and needing help from food banks and other services.

Read more: £52.7m boost to Scotland from film and TV in 2015

“We are already spending £100 million a year to support people affected by the UK Government’s welfare cuts including fully mitigating the bedroom tax and an additional £1 million a year is invested in our Fair Food Fund to support a range of projects. We are aware however that the UKG welfare cuts will mean a cumulative cut to Scotland of £2 billion by 2020 and we cannot fill all the cuts that they inflict but will continue to protect those most vulnerable.”