People in Scotland plunged into poverty during the pandemic have been surviving on as little as £4 a day, according to a shocking report.
In 2020, the average childless couple using a food bank was typically left with a monthly household income of only £248 after housing costs.
This sum is expected to cover energy and water costs, council tax, food and other essentials.
Chronic levels of destitution were highlighted in the report for The Trussell Trust, which found 95 per cent of those referred to its food banks were living in “destitution” – unable to afford to eat and stay warm and dry.
The State of Hunger 2021 study found a couple with no kids had turned to a food bank because they were expected to scrape by, on average, on only £8 a day.
Polly Jones, head of The Trussell Trust in Scotland, said the main political parties – which committed to tackling poverty before the Holyrood election – had to act on pledges to solve the crisis.
She added: “They must put their words into action.
“How can anyone in this country stay warm and dry and buy food on just £248 a month after rent?
“People struggling in extreme poverty are pushed to the doors of food banks because they don’t have enough money to survive. Hunger in Scotland isn’t about food – it’s about people not being able to afford the basics.”
Among the most vulnerable are the disabled and single mums. About six in 10 working-age people referred to a food bank in early 2020 were disabled – more than three times the rate in the UK working-age population. And one in five households referred to food banks during the pandemic were single parents – more than twice the rate in the general population.
The number of people using food banks has risen by 63 per cent in the past five years.
In the past year, The Trussell Trust has handed out 220,000 emergency food parcels to people in desperate need – and more than 77,000 went to children.
Many people using food banks are the working poor, while some have been forced on to benefits by widespread unemployment.
Research found a main cause of low income is social security payments failing to cover the cost of living. This is mainly due to system flaws, including the five-week delay for a first Universal Credit payment and low levels of benefits.
The charity warned people living in destitution risk being further pulled under by
difficulties such as debt and mental health issues.
Research in mid-2020 found nine in 10 households at food banks were in debt, while six in 10 had arrears on bills and owed money on loans.
Almost half of all people using food banks and 41 per cent of disabled people referred were in debt to the Department for Work and Pensions, making it the most common creditor to people at food banks.
People experiencing poor mental health referred to food banks in The Trussell Trust network grew from about
50 per cent in early 2020 to almost 75 per cent in mid-2020.
SNP MP Ronnie Cowan said radical thinking is needed to tackle poverty, including a new Universal Basic Income system which guarantees a financial safety net for the poorest in our society.
He said: “The Trussell Trust report is a stark reminder of the continuing failure of the existing UK welfare system to support the poorest and most marginalised in our society.
“Universal Basic Income could be a state-provided solution. Pilots projects around the globe have provided excellent outcomes and it must be a priority of all governments in the UK to push ahead with Basic Income and work to end poverty.”
The Worker's story
The manager of a food bank said they are waiting for a “tsunami” of users when furlough ends.
Audrey Flannagan, who manages the Glasgow South East facility, said it was inevitable more people would be plunged into destitution post-Covid.
She added: “We’re prepared for the tsunami of people who will need us when furlough ends. We are all hoping it won’t happen but we know it probably will.”
Audrey said there has been a shift in those using the Glasgow food bank over the period of the pandemic, with an increase in users struggling to feed their families.
The pandemic has led to widespread unemployment or precarious employment and people with children have been unable to make ends meet.
Covid has also led to large numbers of workers losing jobs in sectors such as hospitality.
Audrey added: “Many of the people we’re seeing used to work in hospitality. Either they haven’t been getting any salary or only part of it.”
She said there has also been a rise in people from abroad who have no right to benefits, including those who have come to the UK on a student visa but can’t support themselves through the usual avenues of low-paid labour such as bar work. Others have come to Scotland on working visas but their jobs have disappeared.
Audrey said the emotional and mental impact of destitution has been devastating.
She said: “We had one woman who burst into tears when we gave her a bag with food, toiletries and sanitary products. She looked at the sanitary products and said they would make her feel human again.
“We gave a man shower gel and soap and he was so grateful to feel properly clean again.
“People come to us suffering from depression. They are often shaking and anxious. For some, it is a trauma coming to a food bank, especially if they have never had to do it before.
“People talk about food, period and child poverty, but it all boils down to general poverty and people not having enough money to live on. We need to tackle it as a society – food banks should not be necessary.”
