Soaring numbers turn to foodbanks for help
Labour and SNP politicians call on Westminster to act
The number of people across Rutherglen and Cambuslang relying on foodbanks has soared by 50 percent - in two successive years.
And in the past four months alone, a total of 1618 adults and children were fed by Rutherglen and Cambuslang Foodbank almost 300 more individuals than the same period last year.
The Universal Credit benefits system and sanctions by the DWP is being blamed for the downward spiral.
Rutherglen and Cambuslang Foodbank has become a lifeline service for struggling families, and the work of its volunteers have this week been described as “priceless”.
However, Rutherglen’s MSP and MP insist that such a service shouldn’t even exist.
The town’s MSP Clare Haughey said: “Whilst I am grateful for the great work of Rutherglen and Cambuslang Foodbank, it shouldn’t need to be like this.”
Rutherglen and Cambuslang Foodbank has been operating since 2013 and volunteers dish out food parcels in the car park behind St Columbkille’s on Mondays and Thursdays, at Whitlawburn Community Resource Centre every Tuesday, and Cambuslang Baptist Church Halls every Friday.
A spokesman for the foodbank said: “Last year we carried out a short voluntary survey which clearly showed that the increase that we saw at that time was due largely to Universal Credit and people being sanctioned by DWP.
“Over the last two years we have seen a year-on-year increase of demand for the foodbank of 50 percent.”
Volunteers rely on donations from the public and receive generous, ongoing support at local supermarkets.
Pupils from St Charles and Newton Farm primary schools also contributed recently by collecting food and loading cars with donations.
The foodbank spokesman added: “Our volunteers are priceless – literally, without them the foodbank could not function – collecting donations, sorting the warehouse, delivering food to the distribution points, managing the finance and procedures, staffing supermarket food-drives and, of course, staffing the distribution points.”
Rutherglen MP Ged Killen said: “These foodbank usage figures are shocking but, sadly, not surprising.
“Day in, day out I hear from people across Rutherglen and Cambuslang about the serious impact Universal Credit is having on their lives.
“In many cases, people are forced to turn to foodbanks because of sanctions, delays to payments, or because they are worse off under the new system.
“The volunteers at Rutherglen and Cambuslang foodbank do an excellent job under very difficult circumstances but it is shocking to think that in 2018 record numbers of people are relying on donations from others to put food on the table.
“I want to see the government set itself a target of reversing the increasing reliance on foodbanks but to do that they must listen to the Labour Party’s calls to halt the roll out of Universal Credit and work to address these issues.”
Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey said: “Since its roll-out across South Lanarkshire, Universal Credit has been devastating for my constituents.
“By 2020-2021, Scottish people will have lost £3.7 billion through Tory Government cuts to welfare spending, and that’s money coming out of the pockets of the lowest income families in our country and out of local communities.
“The UK Work and Pensions secretary has herself admitted that families will be worse off, with reports claiming she has told colleagues that millions of families will lose £200 each and every month.
“The Tory Government can take steps right now to minimise the impact on people.”