MORE than 1,250 children in Denbighshire are now dependent on foodbanks following the introduction of Universal Credit.

After its busiest year to date, food bank charity The Trussel Trust - which operates Prestatyn & Meliden Foodbank at the Alive Church and the Vale of Clwyd Foodbank on Chapel Street, Denbigh – has recorded an about 30 percent increase in three day emergency food supplies since the new welfare scheme rolled out for people with disabilities, jobseekers and families on low incomes in Denbighshire last April.

The network’s statistics for the period between April1 2018 and March 31 2019 show an increase of 696 people – 416 children and 280 adults – for a total of 3,036 people - 1,273 children and 1,763 adults - receiving referrals.

Susan Lloyd-Selby, Wales Operations Manager for the Trussell Trust, explains: “We are seeing record numbers of people in Wales walking through the doors of food banks because they simply cannot afford food. This isn’t right.

“No one should be left hungry or destitute and we owe it to each other to make sure sufficient financial support is in place when we need it most.”

The latest figures also show a rise of more than 19 percent in Conwy county, where the charity operates a foodbank in Abergele, with 703 children and 932 adults using the service.

The Conwy and Denbighshire increases come as the charity broke 100,000 referrals for the first time, with more than 113,000.

The charity is now calling on the Government to scrap a five week waiting period before the first payment to claimants, with a total of 51 percent of food bank referrals made due to issues with benefits linked to Universal Credit.

Ms Lloyd-Shelbny said: “Our benefits system should anchor us all from being swept into poverty with Universal Credit being part of the solution. But currently the five week wait is leaving many without enough money to cover the basics.

“As a priority, we’re urging the government to end the wait for Universal Credit to ease the pressure on thousands of households.

“No charity can replace the dignity of having financial security. That’s why in the long-term, we’re calling for benefit payments to reflect the true cost of living and work is secure, paying the real Living Wage, to help ensure we are all anchored from poverty.”