ONE in seven Scots are not confident they can afford to feed their families, a YouGov poll suggest.
While 80% are confident they have the money they need for food, more than a third of the Scots public (37%) say they are less sure they can afford to feed their families than they were this time last year, including 10% who are “much” less confident than they were 12 months ago.
Some 14% say they are not confident they can afford to feed their families, according to the survey of 150 Scots between October 7 and 9.
Across the UK half of 18 to 24-year-olds (55%) say they are confident they can afford the food they need, compared to between 72% and 89% of older age groups.
While 85% of Scots say they have never had to turn to a foodbank, more than a fifth of the (21%) believe they are now more likely to need one than they were a year ago.
Of 11% of Scots who say they have used a foodbank at some point in their life, more than half (53%) visited within the last year, including 6% within the last week.
Just under one in six (16%) of Scots have had to borrow money in order to afford their regular food bills in the past year, the same poll also reveals, with 9% lending from family and friends, and 3% from loan providers.
There is also a generation gap around foodbank use across the UK , with one in seven (14%) of 18 to 24-year-olds saying they have used one compared with just 3% of over-65s.
Sue Davies, head of food policy with the consumer organisation Which said: "It is hugely concerning that people aren't confident they can afford to feed their families. Our research has also found that millions of consumers are skipping meals or struggling to put healthy meals on the table due to the cost of living crisis.
"Households must get the support they need from the government and businesses during the cost of living crisis.
“Supermarkets have a crucial role to play in helping their customers navigate the tough months ahead. Budget lines for healthy and affordable essential items need to be widely available across their stores and they should ensure shoppers can easily compare the price of products to get the best value. Promotions should be targeted at supporting those most in need.”
It comes after UK food price inflation soared to a record annual rate of 11.6% in October as staples such as teabags, milk and sugar became more expensive along with fresh food.
Annual food inflation rose from 10.6% in September, the latest monthly report from the British Retail Consortium and the data firm Nielsen showed.
The annual price increase of fresh food last month was particularly high, up 13.3% year on year compared with a rate of 12.1% in September.
Non-food inflation picked up to 4.1% from 3.3% the month before, meaning overall shop prices were 6.6% higher year on year, also a record rise for the index.
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