Foodbank demand up again

That was the finding of a recent report published by the Trussell Trust.

The charity’s network of 52 Scottish foodbanks provided 145,865 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis - including 47,955 for children - during the 2016/17 financial year.

In East Dunbartonshire 3,723 emergency food supplies were handed out, compared to 2,890 in the previous year - an increase of 29 per cent.

A total of 1,083 of these were for children.

The figures show that low income has, for the first time, become the single biggest reason for a referral to a Scottish foodbank - 25 per cent compared to 21 per cent a year earlier.

Problems with benefit payments remain the biggest overall reason for a referral to a Trussell Trust foodbank in Scotland.

It accounts for 42 per cent of all referrals - 24 per cent for benefit delays and 18 per cent for benefit changes.