Foodbank reliance across Tayside and Fife continues to rise

More than 28,000 emergency food parcel referrals recorded across the region in last 12 months

Low incomes are fuelling a continuing rise in foodbank use across Tayside and Fife, charity chiefs say.

The Trussell Trust recorded 28,046 emergency food parcel referrals across Fife, Perth, Angus and Dundee in the last financial year – amounting to more than 16% of the Scottish total.

Foodbank bosses say many clients are in full-time work but on zero-hours contracts and are calling on the UK Government to reassess how benefits are paid.

The trust, which collated the figures, wants payments to be brought in line with inflation.

However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rejected the charity’s findings, dismissing the evidence as “anecdotal”.

Scotland experienced a 17% rise in referrals last year, with 170,625 threeday emergency food supplies distributed to people in need.

In Dundee, more than 2,000 children were fed from a foodbank between April 2017-18. In Fife, almost 1,000 additional referrals were made in the same period, with 12,343 made in total.

Perth experienced a rise of 500 more referrals than last year to 4,788 and in Angus almost 100 more referrals for food were requested, a total of 3,689.

Dundee Foodbank manager Ken Linton said the city had experienced a slight drop in the number of overall referrals but this was down to the service no longer handing out fuel vouchers.

“A large number of people in the city still needed emergency food last year,” he said. “There were around 140 people per week coming to see us and we supplied food for more than 2,000 children last year, which is of real concern.

“We noticed this year low income being the greatest reason why people are being referred.”

A DWP spokesman said: “The reasons why people use foodbanks are complex, so it’s wrong to link a rise to any one cause.

“This research is based on anecdotal evidence from a small, self-selecting sample of less than 0.04% of current Universal Credit claimants, whereas Universal Credit is working for the vast majority who claim it.

“It was also carried out before our significant improvements to Universal Credit came into effect at the Budget, such as 100% advances.”

There were around 140 people per week coming to see us and we supplied food for more than 2,000 children last year, which is of real concern. DUNDEE FOODBANK MANAGER KEN LINTON

Picture: Mhairi Edwards. Ken Linton at Dundee Foodbank’s warehouse on Dunsinane Avenue.