The Trussell Trust released its mid-year statistics today and reported a 13% rise in numbers based on the same period in 2016. In areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out, the average increase in uptake was 30%.
In Whitehawk we have seen an increase of 62% over the last six months compared with 2016, with 644 people fed in just six months.
This is a shocking statistic, even more concerning given that Universal Credit will not be rolled out in Brighton until the new year.
Benefit changes or delays accounted for nearly 60% of the reasons given for referral locally.