Total usage of foodbanks in Scotland has increased by 50% since 2017.
Scottish foodbank use has shot up to its highest ever level despite efforts to tackle child poverty and the ongoing reliance on such parcels.
An investigation by The Herald newspaper found the total usage of foodbanks in Scotland has increased by 50% since 2017.
Data provided by the Trussell Trust found 55,977 food parcels were distributed for children in 2017-18, with that figure rising to 86,013 parcels last year.
Overall, food parcel numbers have risen from 173,511 to 262,479.
Children continue to make up around 32% of food parcel recipients.
Catherine Canning, food bank co-ordinator at the Glasgow South East food bank, told The Herald: “The government has got to be accountable.
“The people who come to us, they’re not coming here out of choice. Some people come in and they’re really embarrassed, upset. It’s quite hard to watch.”
These figures only cover Trussell Trust foodbanks, not those operated by other charities and community groups.
Local groups told the newspaper that their own figures showed rises of 40% or higher for some foodbanks in the same period.
Andy Ireland, managing director of Start Up Stirling told the Herald: “This isn’t about kicking politicians. This is about trying to get a national approach that works.
“How much longer does the third sector continue to do the work, that in my opinion, others should be doing? It’s always the easy option to leave it to someone else.
“To end the need for food banks you have to be all in. The figures don’t lie. Something has to be done quickly or we are going to lose the initiatives that are already there.”
Scotland previously became the first country in the UK to commit to ending the need for food banks in a 2023 announcement.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told the Herald: “No one should have to compromise on food or other essentials.
“We are taking action to improve the response to crisis, using a Cash-First approach, so that fewer people need to turn to food parcels, by increasing access to emergency income, along with welfare rights and income maximisation advice and support to prevent future hardship. This Cash-First approach enables people to choose the essentials they need whilst maintaining dignity.
“We are also taking action to support families, including through the Scottish Child Payment which is forecast to benefit the families of over 330,000 children in 2025-26.
“It was encouraging to see a 5% drop in the number of parcels distributed by Trussell food banks in Scotland for children between 1 April 2024 and 30 September 2024 compared to 2023-24, which shows our policies are working. However we know there is more to do.
“We have repeatedly called for the UK Government to deliver an Essentials Guarantee to ensure people can always afford their basic needs. Instead, our efforts are being undermined by the policies of the UK Government like the two-child limit, which is increasing poverty and hardship for many families.
“We are working to develop the systems necessary to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child cap in 2026.”
