CHRISTIAN charity the Trussell Trust says foodbank use remains at record levels in the North-East and has gone up year-on-year.

Between April and September this year it gave out the equivalent of 123,465 days of food in the region, compared to 120,342 in the same period in 2014.

The Trussell Trust figures are regarded as a good indicator of how hunger is affecting those on low incomes since it runs the biggest network of foodbanks in the UK and only accepts referrals from statutory agencies and frontline professionals.

Nationally, it said approximately 298,000 people used its foodbanks on a unique basis over the six month period, although the figures rose less dramatically than previous years.

Benefit delays and changes were the biggest cause of foodbank use in the North-East, accounting for 31 per cent of total referrals.

However a Government spokesman said it was “completely misleading” to link foodbank use to benefit delays since the vast majority of benefits were being paid on time and improvements were being made year on year.

Foodbank director Adrian Curtis commented: “We’re seeing that hunger remains a major issue for low income families and individuals.

“When the proposed changes to tax credits are implemented, we are concerned that more working families will not be able to make ends meet and that we could see a substantial rise in foodbank use as a result.”

More than 90 per cent of Trussell Trust foodbanks now provide additional services alongside emergency food, ranging from debt and money advice to ‘Eat Well Spend Less’ courses.

Major Colin Bradshaw, of the Salvation Army Darlington Citadel, which runs an emergency foodbank in Darlington on a Friday night, cited benefit sanctions, where benefits are taken away entirely, as the biggest reason for an increase in demand for its services.

He said: “All those we see at our foodbanks don’t want to be there. Our food bags are worth just £2.50 and you have got to queue up to get it so those that do genuinely need it.

“Without foodbanks our prisons would be full of people stealing food to survive.”

Major Bradshaw added: “Over the past two years we have been running our food banks 70 per cent of users have been sanctioned. We had one guy who was in hospital fighting for his life and missed an appointment at the JobCentre.

“He had a letter from his consultant and the hospital, but was told it was not a valid excuse. He was 62-year-old and had someone bring him along [to the foodbank] because he was ashamed.”