Big rise in call on Highland foodbanks blamed on benefit cuts
Shock figures have emerged which show that more than 4,000 people in the Highlands received help from a foodbank last year.
And one Highland councillor – whose Inverness ward had the biggest number of individuals needing help to eat – has claimed it is "a damning indictment" on the welfare system.
The alarming statistics show that a total of 4,023 adults and children were fed via the Highland Foodbank in 2013 and delays in benefit payments and low income were the top two reasons why vouchers were issued.
The foodbank, which is run by the Christian relief agency Blythswood Care, sees parcels packed with essential and none perishable food to last three days and is awarded to individuals and families in desperate need.
The charity delivers food boxes in Inverness, Caithness, Sutherland, Easter Ross, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.
Vouchers are given out by health professionals, social workers and job centres.
Out of that total, 52 foodbank recipients live in Badenoch and Strathspey whilst the highest number is 1,360 people in Inverness.
Inverness Central Highland councillor Richard Laird (SNP) said: "I know an awful lot of the problems have been caused by benefit problems and the figures here have borne that out. It is a damning indictment on the welfare system as it stands."
He warned the true picture could be even worse and claimed other people were struggling but were too proud to seek help from a foodbank.
"The important thing to stress is that people don’t just turn up at foodbanks, they are referred by professionals on their need," he said. "Things are not improving and a lot of people are scared about what the future might bring.
A spokesman for Highland Lib Dem MP Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, defended the benefits shake-up.
"The reforms that the government has introduced are helping to move people from welfare to work more quickly," he said. "Helping people to find well-paid and stable employment is the right approach, but we as a society must be ready to step in at times of need. While we work to reduce the need for foodbanks, we should recognise the community spirit and generosity that many show to help those less fortunate."
The oldest councillor in the Highlands, octogenarian John Ford, compared the soaring numbers of people needing help from a foodbank to World War Two rationing last year.
The Labour councillor claimed the "appalling" situation had been worsened by the "wholly immoral" bedroom tax’s introduction - and said it reminded him of wartime Britain in the 1940s.
A foodbank voucher is issued per single family and can cover for example one adult plus three children, a single man or woman and couples.
For rural residents who are unable to physically access a Blythswood facility, council staff or a referring organisation will phone Blythswood. The charity will then deliver a food parcel wherever possible. In some locations, food parcels are held on council premises. There are other foodbanks run by churches and charitable organisations which offer varying degrees of help.
