One in three people who receive universal credit are struggling to buy food and heat their homes, according to a new report.

The Trussell Trust said the cost of living crisis has made forced people deeper into debt just to pay for the absolute essentials and many are skipping meals.

The Trussell Trust report research carried out by polling organisation YouGov among food bank users found over one in three (36%) Scots receiving Universal Credit have been forced into debt this winter just to eat and pay bills.  

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It also found one in six people surveyed (16%) needed to visit a food bank at least once since the start of December.   

More than one in three (36%) people receiving Universal Credit had more than one day in the last month where they didn’t eat at all or had only one meal.

Also one in three people (30%) surveyed have not been able to heat their home for more than four days across the last month because they couldn’t afford to. 

The charity said inflation at 7% is making life even more difficult especially as benefits are only due to rise by 3.1% in April, an increase of just £2 a week.

The report comes as anti-poverty campaigners joined together to call on the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to scrap the benefit cap in his budget next week.

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Polly Jones, head of Scotland at the Trussell Trust, said: “Right now, the cost of living is forcing thousands of families across Scotland into a downward spiral of debt just to get by. People are telling us they're going days with minimal food, are having to endure the cold to save money and are being forced to turn to food banks with devastating effects on people’s mental health.

“Social security should be protecting people from debt and food banks - not pushing them towards it.  

“This isn’t right. We know the situation is only set to get worse and we cannot wait any longer. That’s why we are calling on the UK Government to bring benefits in line with the forecast rate of inflation as a bare minimum in the upcoming Spring Statement, to prevent thousands more people across Scotland being forced into debt and through the doors of food banks. We are also calling on the Scottish Government to invest further in the Scottish Welfare Fund so that no one needs to use a food bank to get by.”