MORE people are turning to foodbanks as they struggle to pay bills while feeding and clothing their families.

The Trussell Trust say that the biggest single, and fastest growing, reason for people attending foodbanks is low income/benefits/not earning.

No community has escaped, including many places within the Chronicle’s circulation area, with 5,500 families alone in MP Alan Brown’s constituency, which includes Auchinleck and Muirkirk.

He says that Tory welfare cuts have forced them to rely on foodbanks and emergency aid, as new figures reveal more a million emergency food parcels were distributed by the Trussell Trust between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018.

Their annual foodbank statistics show 1,332,952 three day emergency food supplies were distributed to people across the UK in 2017/18, including 484,026 to children. These figures indicate a 13 per cent increase on the previous year.

Mr Brown said: “It’s a disgrace that families are having to rely on emergency food parcels just to get by.

“Millions of families across the UK are suffering from a Tory pay cut – as rising prices, stagnant wages, and cuts to social security continue to squeeze living standards and push households into poverty, debt and crisis.

“The figures from the Trussell Trust show that the problem is getting worse - with foodbank usage rising year on year. Tory policies are making it harder for families to cover even the basic costs of food, housing, and bills.

“Families cannot afford another year of Tory cuts. It is vital that the UK government finally takes meaningful action to boost incomes. This must include delivering a real living wage, ending the public sector pay cap, and reversing the benefits freeze to help ensure families have enough money to live on.”