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'Fivefold rise' in foodbanks use
The number of people getting emergency supplies from foodbanks has risen by more than five times since 2010, according to campaigners.
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Food bank usage almost trebles across UK
Without the foodbank 'it would be chaos'
Pamela receives food from The Trussell Trust foodbanks, she says without them she would have to borrow money and it would be "chaos."
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Oxfam fears rise in foodbank use is 'tip of the iceberg'
Oxfam's Director of UK Poverty, Chris Johnes, has warned that welfare reforms could tip even more people into food poverty:
Britain cannot ignore 'the hunger on our doorstep'
People who arrive for help at foodbanks are referred by doctors, social workers, schools liaison officers or advisers at the CAB and Jobcentre Plus.
Chris Mould, the Trussell Trust 's Executive Chairman, said: "We cannot ignore the hunger on our doorstep. Politicians across the political spectrum need to recognise the real extent of UK food poverty and create fresh policies that better address its underlying causes.
"This is more important than ever as the impact of the biggest reforms to the welfare state since it began start to take effect."
Government already providing 'safety net' for families
The government has said that it already provides a "safety net" to benefit claimants who need help with food, adding that some of the increase seen by the Trussell Trust could be due to Job Centres referring people to their service:
Rise in use of foodbanks is 'wake-up call to the nation'
The Trussell Trust says the number of people turning to them for help was a "wake-up call to the nation". The charity claims the impact of welfare reforms that came into force this month has already sparked an increase in numbers passing through their doors.
- Of those helped over the last year 126,889 were children and most recipients were working-age families
- 30% of people helped were referred as a result of benefit delays
- 15% because of benefit changes
- Overall, the charity helped nearly 100,000 more people than it had anticipated
Source: The Trussell Trust
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Fivefold increase in people turning to foodbanks
There has been a big jump in the number of people relying on emergency supplies from Trussell Trust foodbanks, with a fivefold increase since the coalition Government came to power.
The Trussell Trust charity says in the last financial year 346,992 people received three days' worth of emergency food. That compares to 61,468 in 2010/11.
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Food bank usage almost trebles across UK
The Trussell Trust has said that over 300,000 people were given emergency handouts between 2011 and 2012, 120,000 of those children.