The manager of a local foodbank last week urged the government to tighten up the safety net to stop hard-up people slipping through the cracks and into poverty.

New figures emerged showing Abergavenny foodbank gave out 1220 three-day emergency parcels to local people over the last year—with 569 food parcels going to children.

The dramatic rise—22 percent—feeds into a national picture which saw record increases in the numbers of people forced to seek help at foodbanks, according to figures from the Trussell Trust.

Jan Addis (pictured), the manager of Abergavenny Foodbank, backed calls from the trust to ensure the benefits system protects those struggling, from poverty. The charity believes the sharp spike in numbers is largely down to benefit payment issues, and with the controversies surrounding the Universal Credit rollout, which has seen recipients often wait five weeks or more for their payments to arrive.

Mrs Addis, of the Abergavenny Foodbank said, “No one in the Abergavenny area should need a food bank’s help and we want to see an end to local people needing emergency food at all. It doesn’t have to be this way—our benefits system is supposed to protect us all from being swept into poverty.

“Universal Credit should be part of the solution, but currently the five-week wait is leaving many without enough money to cover the basics. This isn’t right. Until we reach a future where food banks are no longer needed, we’ll continue to provide vital support when it matters most. We’re dedicated to ensuring that people in our community without enough money for food are able to access emergency support.

“Our vital work in the community has only been possible in the last year because of the incredible generosity shown by local people in donating food, time and funds. Thank you.”

Mrs Addis added that Abergavenny Foodbank ‘shares the concerns of other food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network about Universal Credit,’ which has been freighted with problems and delays since its inception back in 2010.

“It is not the only benefit payment people referred to the food bank have experienced problems with,” she said. “But the issues faced by local people moving onto the new system are significant. The food bank has needed to give emergency food and support to people who are waiting at least five-weeks for a first Universal Credit payment.

”A local Labour councillor said that the change has left many worse-off, on a system designed to make work pay. Councillor Martyn Groucutt said, “Something has to be done to at least ameliorate the worst effects of Universal Credit before it is fully rolled-out and the impact becomes even greater.

“In Abergavenny, Monmouthshire and the whole of Wales growing numbers, including children, are going hungry because the Conservative government has failed to address the fact that Universal Credit is pushing people into poverty. The government just does not seem to understand that this is as a direct result of its welfare policy, which has Universal Credit at its centre. Families are being locked into poverty with low pay, insecure work (including zero hours contracts), high costs of housing and the roll out of Universal Credit and this is stopping them having a decent life.”