Charity urges action on hardship as food bank demand up by half in five years

Foodbank use has risen by half in five years, the Trussell charity said (Alamy/PA) -

The number of emergency food parcels given out across the UK has risen by more than half in the past five years, according to a charity.

Food bank network Trussell urged the Government to row back on its welfare reform plans, which it described as a “harmful” policy choice and said Labour risks a legacy of rising food bank need and child poverty.