This month will see the beginning of full service Universal Credit being rolled out in Shrewsbury and Atcham.

If any national organisation should be fully aware of the impact of Universal Credit in relation to food poverty, the Trussell Trust could reasonably lay claim to that. The Trussell Trust is the biggest national network of food banks but by no means the only foodbank provider.

The Trussell Trust warns that, ‘In areas where the full Universal Credit rollout has taken place, food bank referral rates were running at more than double the national average’.

So, although the initial wait for the payment of Universal Credit has comparatively recently been reduced from a minimum of 6 weeks to a minimum of 5 weeks, nevertheless, families in this area are still likely to experience very considerable hardship.

Recent figures from the Trussel Trust show a staggering 52% increase in foodbank use in the first 12 months in areas where Universal Credit has been introduced.