Food bank sees demand for no-cook parcels double in Hull amid rise in energy costs

• Video report by Emma Hayward

Food banks in Hull say they have seen a 50% rise in demand for food parcels that don't require heating as energy bills rockets.

New figures from the End Child Poverty coalition reveal child poverty in the Yorkshire and Humber region has risen by 6% - the second biggest hike in the country.

Hull has among the highest numbers of families affected, with 38% of children living in poverty.

The Warren Youth Project has helped around 800 of Hull's young people during the last year.

Volunteers say they want a significant shift in how the lives of the poor and less well-off are understood.

Speaking to ITV News, chief executive JJ Tatten said: "I'd like them to spend time, lengthy time, in and around these communities to properly and comprehensively understand what is going on."

The figures show parts of Yorkshire and Humber with the highest percentage of children living in poverty include:

• Bradford with 39.8% of children living in poverty 

• Kingston Upon Hull with 38% of children living in poverty

• Kirklees with 36.6% of children living in poverty 

• Sheffield with 36.4% of children living in poverty 

• Leeds with 35.9% of children living in poverty

The figures, taken from 2020/21, also found that over one third of children are growing up in poverty in parts of Yorkshire and Humber - compared to one in five, in areas in the country with the lowest child poverty rates.

For low income families, this has meant a heavier reliance on food banks - with some specifying a preference for meals that don't require heating up as people attempt to save costs.

From later this week the government says it will start making direct payment to those who are struggling the most to deal with the rising food and energy bills.

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