A 79% Rise In Inverclyde Trussell Trust Food Bank Use Requires Action Say Greens
A 79% RISE IN INVERCLYDE TRUSSELL TRUST FOOD BANK USE REQUIRES ACTION SAY GREENS
Figures from a food bank charity, showing that 6,397 people in Inverclyde and 29,092 in the West of Scotland were provided with three-day emergency food supplies, highlights the urgent need to implement the Scottish Greens’ ten-point plan to tackle poverty, says an MSP for the party.
|
Region |
Adults |
Children |
Total |
|
North East Scotland Region |
11821 |
5318 |
17139 |
|
Central Scotland Region |
11220 |
5357 |
16577 |
|
South Scotland Region |
14283 |
6495 |
20778 |
|
Mid Scotland and Fife Region |
11599 |
5532 |
17131 |
|
West Scotland Region |
20354 |
8738 |
29092 |
|
Lothian Region |
14313 |
7130 |
21443 |
|
Highlands and Islands Region |
9045 |
3625 |
12670 |
|
Glasgow Region |
22952 |
12843 |
35795 |
Ross Greer, MSP for the West of Scotland says the figures from the Trussell Trust, which also show that 1,785 children in Inverclyde received the three-day food packages, are a “national scandal” and that citizens in a rich country like this shouldn’t be reliant on charities to provide vital food aid.
The 2017/18 figures provided by the Trussell Trust also reveal a rise of almost 80% from 2016/17, where 3,574 people in Inverclyde were given assistance. Across Scotland, 170,625 three-day emergency food supplies were given to people in crisis, with 55,038 provided for children, a record rise for say the charity. [4]
Ross Greer, Green MSP for the West of Scotland said:
“It's a national scandal that in Scotland in 2018, so many people in Inverclyde cannot afford to eat. In the Scottish Parliament we’ll do everything we can to make sure newly devolved powers are used to support those who are left without income as a result of UK Government benefit delays. Scotland is a wealthy country and no one here should be so short of money that they cannot afford to eat.
“This is the harsh reality of what Tory economics does to people in Inverclyde and across the country. Voluntary organisations like the Trussell Trust shouldn’t be the last line of defence, they simply don’t have the resources to continue providing their services on such a large scale and they shouldn’t need to. The ‘Left Behind’ report, along with these damning figures, provides further evidence of the misery that Universal Credit in particular is causing so many people. The report’s recommendations have the support of the Greens and much of it chimes with our ten-point plan to tackle child poverty and our calls to end benefit sanctions..”