Huge rise in food aid
The shocking rise in the number of people in Renfrewshire being forced to rely on food banks has been slammed by an SNP councillor.
Councillor and parliamentary candidate for Renfrewshire North and West, Natalie Don has called for action to be taken before more families are pushed into poverty.
The Paisley Express previously revealed how Renfrewshire Foodbank reported that 10,600 people reached out to the charity last year - a shocking surge of 4,000 per cent.
When the Paisley, Johnstone and Renfrewbased organisation was first set up in 2013, between 200 and 300 people in need received food aid.
The Trussell Trust - which supports Renfrewshire Foodbank - reports that food bank usage has tripled in Scotland in seven years.
In 2013, a total of 72,487 people attended at a food bank across the country.
That figure now sits at 237,225 for the year 2019/20.
Councillor Natalie Don, who represents Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank, said: “Food banks are working incredibly hard to continue to provide emergency food safely to people who cannot afford to buy the essentials – but they cannot continue to pick up the pieces because of gaps in the UK Government’s support schemes.
“While the Scottish Government has done its best to tackle poverty here, we continue to have to spend money to protect the most vulnerable in our communities from Tory cuts.
“The majority of welfare spending still remains firmly in the hands of the Tories - who dithered and delayed on extending free school meals through the holidays and had to be shamed into supporting low-income families through this pandemic.
“This UK Government has ignored the warnings of frontline organisations all over the country, but they must act before more families and children and are pushed into poverty.
“Making the £20 uplift to Universal Credit permanent and extending it to legacy benefits would be a good place to start rebuilding the security system the Tories have spent years dismantling, and preventing the number of families relying on food banks from increasing further.”