Record numbers relying on region's foodbanks
Video report by ITV News Anglia's Elodie Harper
There's been a surge in the number of people using foodbanks in the East of England.
In the past 12 months the Trussell Trust said it gave out 129,261 emergency food parcels to those in crisis in the region - that's up 13% on the previous year. 48,998 of those parcels went to children.
The charity said people on benefits were often unable to afford even the most essential items.
It said low income was the most common reason for referral to a foodbank in the East (29%) The other main primary referral reasons in 2017-18 were benefit delays (25%) and benefit changes (15%).
The charity is consequently calling for benefit levels to be uprated in line with inflation to ensure payments keep pace with the cost of living, particularly for disabled people and families with dependent children who are particularly at risk of needing a foodbank.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said the reasons why people use food banks are complex, so it's wrong to link a rise to any one cause.