CHARITY groups have called on MPs to investigate the link between increasing numbers of people relying on food banks in Scotland and benefit cuts.
Church Action Poverty and Oxfam have claimed the Government has failed to monitor numbers of people resorting to emergency help.
In a new report, Walking the Breadline, the groups urged the Commons work and pensions select committee to urgently investigate the growth of food poverty and its relationship to welfare reforms.
Up to half of those seeking help were doing so after having their benefit payments delayed, reduced or withdrawn, the report said.
The report comes in the wake of figures in Scotland revealing the number of people using food banks had increased by 150% within a year.
More than 14,000 people in Scotland, including 4568 children, used the poverty service last year, an increase of 5726 people from 2011.
Energy Secretary Ed Davey told MPs this month that it was "completely wrong to suggest that there is some sort of statistical link between the benefit reforms we're making and the provision of food banks".
Scottish food banks gathered 135 tonnes of food over the last financial year, largely through donations made by churches, schools, supermarket customers and other groups.
Of this, more than 96 tonnes had been handed out by the middle of April.
The charities claimed there was a direct link with the Government's two-year below-inflation cap on working-age benefit increases.
"There is clear evidence that the benefit sanctions regime has gone too far and is leading to destitution, hardship and hunger on a large scale," the report said.
Niall Cooper, Church Action on Poverty chief executive, said: "Food banks are not designed to, and should not, replace the 'normal' safety net provided by the state in the form of welfare support."
Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring said: "Cuts to social safety nets have gone too far, leading to destitution, hardship and hunger on a large scale."
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