ALMOST 2,500 people across the Forest have been fed by the Foodbank in the last year – with Forest CAB predicting this figure to rise.

Issues with clients' welfare benefits – either caused by a delay in processing or changes to benefits meaning clients are left for a period without any money – are to blame.

Chief executive officer at Forest Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB), Lynn Teague said: "We have seen a rise in clients accessing us for food parcels in the last year.

"Benefit sanctions where benefit is suspended or reduced and people are in hardship, low-income working families where an unexpected bill such as repairs to a car to get to work, has caused hardship. Relationship breakdowns have caused a few situations when a single claimant has had children, to stay for the weekend and has no money to buy additional food for the children, or a relationship has ended suddenly and one party is left with no income.

"Universal Credit was rolled out in the Forest Job Centres from May 4 for new, single, unemployed claimants. This is paid four-weekly in arrears with a one week processing period at the beginning of a claim, meaning that clients will wait five weeks for their first payment (this also includes housing benefit if clients are in rented accommodation). We, therefore, anticipate a rise in those accessing the Foodbanks in these circumstances."

Sandi McDonagh, at Forest Foodbank, added: "Our usage is up over 100 which is four per cent on this time last year. We fed 2,389 people including 805 children – Cinderford is the busiest branch.

"The Foodbank also provide toiletries, pet food and recipe advice. We are very busy in all the Foodbanks at the moment, demand is very high, although we have donations we have to use funds to buy food. Green Square (housing association support charity) is available for help and gives advice."

Figures from Trussell Trust, a national charity which provides emergency food and support for people in crisis, revealed they had fed 1,000,000 people in the UK last year.