Demand for London food banks up 120%

  • London
The number of Londoners using food banks has risen. Credit: Image: Press Assocation

Nearly 96,000 Londoners have had to access food banks in the last financial year, according to the Trussell Trust. The number rose by 128% between March, 2013 and April, 2014.

Across the UK, food banks and charities gave out more than 23 million meals last year to people in Britain who could not afford food, according to a new report out today by Oxfam, Church Action on Poverty, and the Trussell Trust.

The report says the rise in food poverty has been driven by a 'perfect storm' of changes to the welfare system, benefit sanctions, low and stagnant wages, zero-hours contracts, and rising food and energy prices.