UK food banks at breaking point urge Liz Truss to boost aid to poorest

theguardian.com:

Thousands of food bank volunteers will warn Liz Truss on Monday that they are having to ration provisions, as their services have become “overstretched and exhausted” because of an influx of people needing their help.

In a sign of a continuing cost of living crisis that was building even before the economic crisis that followed the government’s mini-budget, a letter signed by more than 3,000 food bank workers will be delivered to Downing Street.

It includes a warning that those who used to donate to food banks are now seeking their help, while some services are facing “breaking point” even as they are braced for increasing demand in the coming months.

“People who were already unable to afford food are being hit the hardest by relentless rises in energy, food and travel costs,” states the letter compiled by the Trussell Trust, Feeding Britain and the Independent Food Aid Network (Ifan).

“Every day we meet people who are skipping meals so they can feed their children and turning off their cooker or fridge so they can cover other essential costs. People who used to donate to food banks are now needing to seek our support. And the next 12 months look bleaker still.

“Many of our teams are struggling to cope as demand for our support outstrips our food and financial donations and we are forced to make difficult decisions about how we operate. We are overstretched and exhausted. Many of our organisations are at breaking point.”

They cite the decision to cut universal credit in October last year as one of the drivers of increasing need, with the country now entering a period of even higher inflation. They state that demand has now reached “unprecedented levels”.

The letter tells Truss: “We call on you to take urgent action to end the