MP SAYS UK BENEFIT SYSTEM “IS BROKEN BEYOND REPAIR”

Peter Grant, MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, has said the UK’s benefits system is “broken beyond repair” after new figures showed another jump in the number of people relying on foodbanks.

New figures from the Trussell Trust show that the number of people relying on emergency parcels from the Glenrothes Foodbank has increased by over 1,000 in the last year, with around 20 people relying on foodbank parcels every day.

Mr Grant said, “I pay tribute to the volunteers and donors who keep our foodbanks going but these are shameful figures in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. On a typical day about 20 people, including six or seven children, will rely on food parcels from the Glenrothes Foodbank. This of course doesn’t include the many more who are supported by the Levenmouth Foodbank or by food parcels donated by other community groups around the constituency.

“It is of no surprise that the full roll-out of Universal Credit in Fife has led to this sharp increase. MPs and voluntary organisations in places where Universal Credit was introduced sooner warned that this would happen but the UK Government chose to ignore the warnings. Every day I and my constituency team have to intervene to support constituents who have been left high and dry by the benefits system. This system is broken beyond repair. It is impoverishing far too many people in our communities – including children – and it needs to stop.

“I, along with many of my colleagues, have called for the UK Government to stop the roll-out of Universal Credit immediately. They need to face the reality of how the system is designed and how it is actually working on the ground, not just how they think it should work. We need to get rid of a failed system based on ideology and replace it with one based on fairness, dignity, and respect for the real people behind these statistics.”

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Emergency food parcels statistics – Glenrothes area  (Official figures provided by the from The Trussell Trust)

Year: April 16 – March 17 

Adult: 3608 

Children: 1853 

Total: 5461 

Year: April 17 – March 18 

Adults: 3932 

Children: 1952 

Total: 5884 

% increase: 7.7% 

Year: April 18 – March 19 

Adults: 4579 

Children: 2382 

Total: 6961 

% increase: 18%