Glasgow food bank on Universal Credit and their demand

Glasgow S E Foodbank believes if Universal Credit was forced to match inflation they would see needs for their service to drastically drop.

Ruth Wilkinson is Pathfinder Manager of the hub and explained how she has watched the community struggle with the cost-of-living crisis in higher numbers every year.

Every week they help around 100 adults and 68 children who are struggling to get by during the cost-of-living crisis.

Now they believe having an Essentials Guarantee to at least cover the cost of food, household bills and travel, is vital.
Ruth Wilkinson of Glasgow South East foodbank (Image: Newquest)

READ MORE: Cost of Living: people in Glasgow expected to be poorer next year

Ruth said: “I have been working with the food bank since 2011, and we have never seen numbers like this.

“The cost-of-living crisis has made it hard for people to get by so more people need to rely on us.

“We have advisors that help people make sure they are getting the right benefits so they don’t need to keep coming back.

“The problem is even if they are claiming everything they are entitled to, it isn’t going far because it isn’t enough to sustain them.

“We want to see Universal Credit tied to inflation, like how pensions are, so people can keep up with the cost-of-living. I think this would really see demand for food banks go down.”

The food bank has noticed higher demand (Image: Newsquest)

We previously reported how almost one in five workers have had no change in their pay since the start of the cost of living crisis in 2021, new research suggests.

Jobs site Indeed said its survey of 2,000 people also found that more than two in five revealed they were struggling to make ends meet.

READ MORE: Cost-of-living crisis: Pensioner paid back after losing vital benefit

Half of respondents said bringing costs down should be a top priority for the next government, while two in five said the elected party should bring wages in line with the cost of living.

One in five of those polled said their salary had not changed since the start of the cost of living crisis in 2021, while almost one in seven said their pay had fallen.

Those who have had a pay rise have seen a mean increase of 3% which Indeed said “significantly lags” peak inflation rates of double figures.

While falling inflation has been cited as a sign that the economy is “turning a corner”, three in five of those surveyed said they don’t feel any better off.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “The mass dependence on foodbanks is unacceptable.

“We will take bold action to support families right away by developing an ambitious strategy to reduce poverty, tackle inequality and make work pay.”