KINGLASSIE MSP Jenny Gilruth has slammed the 'UK Government’s cuts to welfare', after new figures revealed that food bank use across the Kingdom has risen by a 'shocking 15%' since last year.

Both Benarty and Cowdenbeath Food Banks continue to be well used facilities.

Food bank use in Scotland has also risen by 15% between April and September compared to the same period in 2017. Food bank providers have said the rise is largely due to the in-built minimum wait of five weeks for a first payment for those migrated to Universal Credit – with many more people forced to wait even longer than five weeks. In Fife the figures show 6,371 emergency packages for the period.

Britain’s biggest foodbank provider, the Trussell Trust, has called for ‘urgent changes’ to Universal Credit – while the SNP, say Ms Gilruth, have consistently called for a halt to the roll-out of the scheme.

Last week, the United Nationals Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights visited the UK to investigate the impact of austerity.

Commenting on the figures, Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP Jenny Gilruth, said: “These are truly heart-breaking figures for Fife, which bring into sharp focus the devastating impact the Tory Government is having on our local community.

“The fact that food bank use is growing across Scotland is a clearly damning indictment of UK Government cuts to welfare, and the botched roll-out of Universal Credit.

“While sustained Tory cuts have created this problem, we can see that where Universal Credit has rolled out it has made things worse – which is why the roll out of UC must be halted, so the fundamental flaws can be addressed."

She added: “I see the impact of Tory benefit cuts on a daily basis in my constituency, and the Tories have shown time and time again that they cannot be trusted with social security in Scotland.

“Only with full powers over social security can we begin to mitigate the effects of this disaster of a UK Government, in order to make Scotland an equal country with a dignified and fair welfare system.”

The Conservative Government have continually contended that Universal Credit is an effective way of making the Welfare system fairer although they admit that there have been problems with the introduction of it.