New figures from Citizens Advice show a 78 per cent rise in enquiries about food banks in the past six months. Enquiries about food banks in Citizens Advice Bureaux have risen in almost every region of the country. One of the hardest hit areas is the West Midlands, with a 142 per cent rise over the period.

The Citizens Advice chief executive, Gillian Guy, called the spike in requests for information about emergency food supplies 'alarming' and warned that 'a perfect storm of pressures' is increasing demand. She said: 'Ministers will be particularly concerned that I am getting reports from our bureaux of working families being forced to turn to foodbanks... Many working people struggle to pay bills and pay for food in the few days before pay day and are forced to seek emergency help'.

Source: Press release 19 August 2013, Citizens Advice
Links: Citizens Advice press release