Foodbanks are braced for a grim Christmas and bleak winter as prices soar and the cost-of-living crisis intensifies.
Analysis by the Mirror shows the Trussell Trust, which operates more than 1,300 foodbanks, is poised to provide more than three million meals this month.
It gave away 257,500 emergency parcels last December, with each containing enough ingredients for three meals a day for three days - the equivalent of 2,317,500 meals.
The Trust gave away 32% more parcels between April and September this year compared with the same period in 2021.
If the trend continues, it would hand out an extra 82,400 parcels - a total of about 339,900 packages containing the equivalent of approximately 3,059,100.
That does not include parcels provided by hundreds of foodbanks not under the Trussell Trust umbrella - meaning the true figure will be much higher.
The charity’s chief executive Emma Revie told the Mirror: “Foodbanks in our network are set to face their hardest winter yet as the cost-of-living emergency is forcing more people through their doors.
“The public has continued to be generous with its donations, but the rising level of need means that we are giving out more food than we are receiving.
“Foodbanks are having to buy twice as much food as they did last year and, combined with rising operational costs, that is making it hard for them to keep going.
“We are expecting that this winter will be the hardest yet for food banks and the people they support.”
The Trussell Trust, which this autumn launched its first-ever appeal for cash donations, held a Christmas service at Southwark Cathedral last week, where Ms Revie warned worshippers of the difficulties set to grip its centres in the coming months.
“More and more people are being forced into impossible decisions, like heating their homes or feeding their children,” she wrote in a programme for the service.
“Foodbanks in the Trussell Trust network are telling us that they are deeply worried about what’s to come.”
She added: “Our country has been hit by a perfect storm - rising energy prices, rising inflation, a potential recession - which is just forcing more and more people deeper into poverty.
“The soaring cost of living is driving a tsunami of need to our foodbanks.”
Independent Food Aid Network coordinator Sabine Goodwin told the Mirror: "Christmastime is bringing unprecedented challenges to already struggling independent foodbanks.
“Across the country, foodbank teams are seeing unparalleled demand for their services both in terms of scale and severity.
“But foodbanks know their help will do no more than provide a temporary sticking plaster on escalating poverty - and worse is likely to come this winter.”
She said volunteers are “overstretched, demoralised, and often trying to support people in unbearable distress”.
Nine in 10 foodbank organisations under the IFAN umbrella said they were now “supporting people who have not needed help before”.
All groups said the cost-of-living crisis had fuelled demand for aid packages.
Alexandra McMillan of the foodbank at the Legendary Community Club in Lewisham, South East London, said: "Compared to this time last year our Christmas appeal donations are down by 50%, our stock costs are almost double.
“We are having to reduce our packages and what we can offer at Christmas."
The Government has previously pointed to its “£1,200 package for those on the lowest incomes”.
A spokeswoman said: "Our extensive, immediate support for families also includes our energy price guarantee, saving around £700 for a typical household over winter, and our household support fund, worth over £1billion to help people with essential costs, combined with longer-term changes such as altering Universal Credit to help people keep £1,000 more of what they earn every year."
* IFAN is urging people to write to their MPs to call for change - ifanuk.org/takeaction
