UNISON Scotland's report, "Austerity economics don't add up" showed that last year in Scotland 71,428 people, including 22,387 children needed to use Trussell Trust food banks, up 400% in three years.In 2012-13, a total of 480,000 working age adults in Scotland were living in relative poverty, more than half in homes where at least one adult was working (classed as in-work poverty). Nearly one in five children - 180,000 - were in relative poverty, 59% in a home with at least one adult working. Charities warn of a scale of poverty and adversity unheard of since Victorian times.
And Aberdeenshire is not immune. There are foodbanks at Ellon, Inverurie, Huntly and Banchory. People can only use a foodbank if they get a referral from their Doctor, Social Work or Housing Support Services.
Steve Gray, Branch Development Officer, who compiled this report, said, "The branch has highlighted that the rise of in work poverty has created the problem that ordinary working people are not earning enough to provide the basic necessities of life like food.
“It is a disgrace in our wealthy society that people in work don’t earn enough to feed their families.
