ALMOST 50 per cent more people last year turned to Citizens Advice Scotland for advice on foodbanks compared to 2014.

More than 7,400 pleas for help were received from those unable to buy food, with one in three having children to feed and 33 per cent with a disability.
An increasing number are still turning to their local Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) for help as they cannot afford essentials including heating their homes or paying rent.

Many had not eaten for days, according to the report released last week, Living at the Sharp End: CAB Clients in Crisis, based on evidence over the last four years.

Corri Wilson, MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, has called for the UK Government to 'reverse the damage of their regressive policies' that are driving people in Scotland into crisis. 

She said: “It is clear from this research that austerity doesn’t work. The need for foodbanks is a shameful indictment on our society and our new Prime Minister must halt the current policy of drastic cuts for those who are least able to bear them. 

"The fact that there is such a demand for foodbanks is a damning exposure of the UK Government’s welfare reforms. Instead of driving people further into poverty, Theresa May must tackle the root causes of poverty. 

“South Ayrshire is one of only two local authorities in Scotland which does not have a Citizens Advice Bureau, and the local council’s position on this is disappointing, given the importance of the work that Citizens Advice Scotland do in both providing support to local people, and conducting research like this across the country.

“The Scottish Government is currently spending £100m a year on mitigating the worst effects of welfare cuts, but this is money that could be much better spent addressing poverty. With some new powers being devolved to the Scottish Parliament, we have the opportunity to take a different approach, putting dignity and respect at the heart of social security in Scotland.

“But with 85 per cent of welfare spending still firmly in the hands of the Conservatives, the UK Government must take urgent action to reverse the damage done by their regressive social policies to the most disadvantaged in Scotland.”