Emergency food parcels for kids

More than 600 emergency food supplies were handed to struggling kids in North Lanarkshire as Universal Credit continues to be rolled out.

Figures from the Trussell Trust show in Scotland that 87,981 emergency supplies were handed to people in crisis between April and September 2018, a 15 per cent increase on the same period in 2017.

Across North Lanarkshire during the same period, 2037 three-day emergency food supplies were given to those in crisis – a 26 per cent rise – with 651 going to children.

The increase coincides with Universal Credit moving to ‘full service’ in Monklands in April this year, with any new claimants being directed towards the new system and having to wait as long as five weeks for their first payment.

Despite the figures, the Department for Work and Pensions continues to defend the system, with a spokesperson saying: “Universal Credit is a modern benefit and replaces an outofdate, complex benefits system which often trapped people in unemployment.

“The additional £4.5billion announced in the budget will support more people as they move on to Universal Credit.”