Food bank use spikes 30% over last year in areas with people receiving Universal Credit benefit
Research from The Trussell Trust published today revealed that food bank use has spiked by 30% over the last year in communities which have endured the rollout of Universal Credit.
The charity also found that foodbank use across its Northern Ireland network increased by 8% in non-Universal Credit communities over the last year.
Northern Ireland Director of the Trussell Trust, Tony Graham, said: “Our network is working hard to stop people going hungry but the simple truth is that even with the enormous generosity of our donors and volunteers, we’re concerned Northern Irish foodbanks could struggle to meet demand if we see the scale of increased foodbank use seen in full Universal Credit areas elsewhere.”