More and more Renfrewshire residents are “skipping meals” as they struggle with the harsh impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
The situation, exacerbated by high food and energy costs, has forced people to make decisions “harmful to their health’, an elected member has said.
Councillor Graeme Clark told a task force, which was formed to focus council support for those struggling, that the predicament is “getting worse” in some of the local authority’s most deprived communities.
The remarks came as food bank staff told the Paisley Daily Express their resources are “really stretched” with individuals and families turning to them for help during an extremely challenging economic climate.
Councillor Clark, a Labour rep for Paisley Northeast and Ralston, said at last Wednesday’s Fairer Renfrewshire sub-committee said: “I’m aware from my engagement with folks as a local councillor that here in Renfrewshire more and more people are skipping meals, leading to people making choices that are harmful to their health.
“In some of our most deprived communities the situation is getting worse – more children going hungry and an increasing number suffering from malnutrition, which is something we shouldn’t have in Scotland.
“With more families falling into unpayable debt, there are many now facing homelessness.”
The bleak reality observed by Councillor Clark was all too familiar to Renfrewshire Foodbank, which has provided food for 2,663 people since January, including 800 children.
“The food bank as a whole is really stretched due to the cost-of-living crisis,” Crystal Clayton, senior manager of the service, said. “It has impacted us a lot.
“Donation numbers have been decreasing rapidly but the volume of people accessing emergency food provision is increasing.
“We’re all aware that food prices have went up, as well as basic essentials for people to live, which has had a massive impact on people turning to emergency food support such as ourselves.
“People’s morale overall is at an all time low due to the fact that everyone’s way of life has drastically changed.
“People who were just getting by this time last year are not getting by at all now.
“People are coming to us and saying they’re struggling mentally and physically, because they can’t afford to buy food due to the cost-of-living crisis and the hikes that we’ve seen across the board.
“We want to thank people for the support that we’ve received because without it people would go hungry.”
Data from the Office of National Statistics was recounted in a report compiled by council officers, detailing stark findings from throughout the winter period.
Around half of adults (49 per cent) in Great Britain said they were buying less food when shopping when they were asked between February 22 and March 5.
Between January 18 and 29, one in 11 adults said they sometimes or often ran out of food and could not afford to buy more in the previous month.
Around one in eight said they had cut down on meal sizes or skipped meals altogether because there was not enough money for supplies.
Councillor Clark, vice chair of the sub-committee, said he was “deeply shocked” by what he had read.
However, he was “hopeful” a review of the tackling poverty initiative, an upcoming action report and understanding gained from the work of a lived experience panel will guide the council in its use of “limited resources”.
“We’re trying to tackle this crisis as best as we can,” he said.
“I’m particularly concerned that we get food to hungry, malnourished children facing a school day with empty stomachs.”
The UK Government’s energy price guarantee, which capped typical energy bills at £2,500 per year, was recently extended until the end of June.
The Chancellor also announced in the budget that steps would be taken to remove the premium paid by households using pre-payment meters.
Councillor Jacqueline Cameron, chair of the sub-committee, said: “The extension of the energy price guarantee and similar help around pre-payment meters is welcome, but it’s a sticking plaster and it’s not good enough.”
The depute council leader and SNP rep for Johnstone South and Elderslie added: “I hope that by the end of June there’s something more robust and substantial there for people.”
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