Commenting on the launch of East Lothian Foodbank’s Christmas campaign, Douglas Alexander MP said:
“East Lothian Foodbank is an outstanding local charity that undertakes vital work helping local people experiencing food insecurity and poverty. However, while I certainly support the foodbank’s Christmas campaign and wish them every success with meeting their targets, it is heartbreaking that so many local families are still struggling to put food on the table, especially at this time of year.
“The increasing reliance on emergency food parcels cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely. Last month’s UK budget marked a decisive break from austerity and set out the first steps for meeting our manifesto commitment to end mass dependence on food parcels.
“This includes the new ‘Fair Repayment Rate’ for Universal Credit which will mean more than one million of the UK’s poorest households will be £420 a year better off from next April. This is something the Trussell Trust told us has been one of the main factors in pushing people towards foodbank use and I’m pleased the budget has addressed it.”