NEW figures have shown more than 30,000 emergency packages were given out by foodbanks across the North of Ireland between April 2017 and March 2018.
The study has been produced by charity the Trussell Trust, which runs the UK’s only nationwide network of foodbanks.
It revealed that Derry was the third highest county for packages distributed by foodbanks – 3,397 to adults and 2,320 to children.
In the report, the new system of Universal Credit – gradually being rolled out to replace a host of means-tested benefits and tax credits – is singled out as a factor fueling foodbank increases.
It shows food bank usage in areas where Universal Credit has been in place for a year were four times as busy, and saw a 52% increase in the number of three-day emergency food packages distributed.
Across the UK there is a continuation of the upward trend in foodbank usage, growing from 346,992 three-day food packages given out in 2012/13, up to 1,332,952 given out in the 2017/18 period.
In the past year the nationwide number of three-day food packages given out has increased by around a 150,000 – an increase of 13% on the previous year.
Of these, 19,144 were given to adults, while 13,289 were given to children.
Co Antrim, accounting for the Belfast area, saw almost three times as many three-day emergency food packages given out compared to Co Down, the second most affected area.
Co Fermanagh saw the smallest number of three-day food packages being distributed, with 394.
The biggest cause for foodbank referral in the province was listed as ‘low income – benefits, not earning’.
Low income accounted for 45% of referrals in North of Ireland, with benefit delays (12%) and benefit changes (12%) also significant reasons for referrals.
Tony Graham, director of Northern Ireland for the Trussell Trust, said: “No-one in Northern Ireland should be left hungry or destitute – illness, disability, family breakdown or the loss of a job could happen to any of us, and we owe it to each other to make sure sufficient financial support is in place when we need it most.
“Any decrease in the need for foodbanks, however small, is welcome. While the benefits freeze is currently ongoing in Northern Ireland, we hope the flexibilities and mitigations which support people on the lowest incomes are leading to a deceleration in foodbank use.
In its report, the Trussell Trust calls for a ‘yellow car warning system’ to limit sanctioning, especially on families with dependent children or people with disabilities, something it hopes would “limit the negative impact caused by unfair sanctioning”.
Mr Durkan said: “The figures published by the Trussell Trust show that tens of thousands of food parcels are being supplied to people in crisis here in Northern Ireland.
“This is a damning indictment of the failure to restore Government here to protect people from the brutal Universal Credit regime. The DUP and Sinn Féin must shoulder the blame – as it’s as simple as this: no Government, no power, no change.
“The Trussell Trust report states that unless changes are made to our welfare system, the situation will get worse with the roll out of Universal Credit.
“Disgracefully the DUP and Sinn Féin colluded together to bring in the welfare cuts and supported the flawed Universal Credit system that is set to inflict further hardship.
“Now, however they have the chance to do the right thing – get back to Government instead of abdicating their responsibilities.
“People in our communities who we are supposed to be lifting out of poverty, out of hardship, out of struggle are having to rely on charity to support them and their families because the DUP and Sinn Féin failed in government – and now are failing to form a government.
“Enough is enough. People cannot be left desperate, destitute and in despair.
“If there was ever a number to show the need to return to government, it’s that over 13,000 parcels of food had to go to feed children.
“The DUP and Sinn Féin must now urgently move to settle their differences to protect these children from further hardship. Unless a government is restored here and we reclaim our devolved powers to bring in mitigation and protections for these families – people, including children will continue to struggle in food poverty.
“I call on the DUP and Sinn Féin to now act so that the Assembly can intervene to end the cycle of destitution and despair our people are facing.”
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