As tax-slashing Tories quaff Champagne at their annual conference in Birmingham, five miles across town desperate families are queuing for emergency food.
Hungry households already unable to cope amid the cost-of-living crisis urged Conservatives descending on the city to throw them a lifeline.
With inflation running at 9.9%, food prices rocketing and banks scrapping mortgage deals, many fear their plight will deepen.
Yama Gaye, 49, whose two sons aged 25 and 11, and daughter, 19, all live at home, said: “There’s quite a lot of pressure already, it’s hard.
“The help I am getting from the foodbank is very important - I don’t even have enough money to top up my electricity.”
Yama, who claims Universal Credit after leaving her job as a carer because of back problems, added: “The Government should increase the money they are paying people. Bills are going up.”
Blasting the Tories for scrapping the bankers’ bonuses cap, she said: “I don’t think they are helping the right people.”
Former slab manager Dave Cheshire, 66, also claims UC.
The grandfather, wearing at least four layers against the autumn chill, said: “When gas and electric are going up you can’t afford it, and it’s only going to get worse.
“I just lie in my bed to keep warm. You just have to struggle and keep going.”
Hitting out at the tax-slashing mini-Budget for millionaires, he added: “It’s a shame what the Government have done - but as long as some people are making the money, eh?”
Hana Mohammed, 33, was collecting food to make meals for her four kids aged 16, 14, 12 and 10.
“I’m on low-income and this food helps me and my children,” she said.
“It’s so difficult with the cost of living. The Government should do more to help families.”
Jacqueline Geoghegan, 33, was visiting with her partner Mark Wright, 36, and three-year-old daughter.
Mum-of-four Jacqueline said: “Bills are huge but my income support has gone down. Everything is just so expensive.
“The foodbank is very much a lifeline. I’ve been relying on my partner’s parents and my parents, but everyone is struggling.”
Asked about the mini-Budget, she added: “They shouldn’t have done it, it’s putting us in a deeper hole than we were in already.”
Unemployed construction worker Mark said: “My message to the Government is we need lots more help.
“I’m sure we will have a recession by the end of the year. It’s going to get worse and they need to consider everyone.
“They didn’t need to cut taxes and help bankers.”
Single mum Emma Gibson, whose son Nathaniel is 10, said: “Things are rubbish at the moment.
“I can just about afford the electric but I’m really struggling with food bills. It makes you depressed, you feel down.
“This Government aren’t there for the poor, they’re there for the rich.”
The Trussell Trust handed out 207,665 food parcels across the West Midlands last year.
Each contained enough food for three meals a day for three days - meaning nearly 1.9 million meals were provided.
In contrast, 104,374 emergency aid packages were given away in 2014/15 - equivalent to almost 940,000 meals.
Royalty last week underlined the vital role foodbanks play, when the Princess of Wales described them as a “lifeline to so many people”.
Visiting a Swansea foodbank with Prince William, Kate added: “With the cost-of-living crisis, there are a lot of desperate people out there.”
David Wiseman, of destitution charity Narthex, which operates the Trussell Trust’s Tyseley foodbank, agreed.
He said: “It’s getting bigger and bigger in terms of demand.
“We currently have a massive shortfall in donations and we think that’s down to the cost-of-living crisis.”
Not only are more people relying on foodbanks, fewer people are able to donate because of their own struggles.
September and October often see surges in the amounts given because of school and church Harvest festivals.
But less food has been coming through and foodbanks in the Sparkhill Trussell Trust’s collection of seven outlets now spend £1,000-a-week on food to give away.
When the group was first established in 2010, it served about 800 people.
Last year it hit 16,000 - and numbers continue to rocket with volunteers expected to help 22,000 people this year.
“We are just seeing exponential growth - more and more desperation with less and less resources,” said David.
But despite the misery, ministers refuse to guarantee benefits will rise in line with inflation - causing the poorest families more uncertainty.
“It was pretty disappointing to hear they weren’t going to increase benefits in line with inflation - that’s heinous, shocking,” said David.
“It’s shameful that we’re meant to be such a large and good economy and yet here we are in 2022 feeding more and more people.
“The term ‘Dickensian’ comes to mind.”
He added: “I dread to think what we are going to see, especially if the pension funds start to collapse.”
Trussell Trust area manager Andy Scotts said: “Across the network we have seen a significant increase in demand - even in comparison with pandemic levels.”
Backing calls for welfare payments to rise with inflation, he added: “The main reason we are seeing people coming is that benefits are insufficient for them to live on.”
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth told the Mirror that “families across Britain are terrified at the prospect of rising mortgages, pensioners shiver in the cold and parents queue at foodbanks”.
Local Labour MP Jess Phillips said: “The Tories will be in our city but they’ll only be talking to and working for the people who already have everything.
“I invite Liz Truss to my office for the day to do the foodbank referrals with me and explain why she just gave millionaires a tax cut of more money than anyone in my constituency earns in a year.
“She won’t come, she’ll be drinking champagne - it won’t have come from a foodbank.”
