More people will use foodbanks this Christmas

In December 2016, they provided 146,798 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis; 61,093 of these went to children.

But a 13% increase in average foodbank use in the first six months of this financial year since April suggests an increased demand when it comes to Christmas.

Premier spoke to Alison Inglif-Jones, trustee of The Trussel Trust, who explained: “In December there are multiple pressures hitting families – the cold weather, the high energy bills and that’s of course particularly for people on pre-payment metres.”

She added that there is also pressure on foodbanks from others: “People who come to a Trussel Trust foodbank need to be referred by a social worker, school governor or MP – so they also want people to be fed before Christmas.

There has been a 30% increase in need for foodbanks in places where universal credit has rolled out, according to The Trussel Trust.

Inglif-Jones revealed some of the contributing factors: “Benefit sanctions and delays, increasingly low incomes and of course universal credit, financial pressures are on. We usually find people are just about getting on and then something happens.”