WARNINGS of higher food prices due to rising inflation have led to fears that people on low incomes in Barrow will fall into financial trouble.

Barrow Foodbank is worried more people will struggle to pay their bills and have to rely on the three-day emergency parcels they give out.

The fears have been raised after new figures showed that inflation in consumer prices had risen to its highest point in two years.

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The boss of Tesco in the UK says the rising food inflation could be "lethal" for people struggling to get by each week.

Inflation peak

Barrow Foodbank, which is based at Abbey Road Baptist Church but has satellite sites in Ulverston and Millom, notices the impact of inflation fluctuations over the year.


Ann Mills, project manager, said: "With the announcement of these rises I can envisage there will be a bigger demand on the food bank. We do notice the peaks and dips with inflation.

"We see so many people on zero contract hours - those families find it difficult because they can't prove to the DWP they are working 16 hours a week so don't get child tax credits.

"We are aware that there are families who are given 15 hours and are just one hour short and they have to be actively seeking another job to make up that hour to qualify.

"These people are going to be affected. They are going to be the first wave of people affected because they don't even have the child tax credits."

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show annual consumer price inflation, which monitors the rate of increase in costs of household goods and services, is now at one per cent, its highest level since November 2014.

Long-term picture

CPI is forecast to reach two per cent by early 2017 and then three per cent by the end of next year.

Some experts believe the sterling's slump following the Brexit referendum result has pushed up prices of consumer goods.

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At a grocery conference, Matt Davies, the head of Tesco in the UK, said: "Everybody should be very, very clear how damaging food inflation is to the economy, to retail businesses and manufacturing businesses and how lethal it could be for millions of people struggling to live from week to week."

Barrow Foodbank: facts and figures

• Barrow Foodbank has been providing three-days emergency food and support to local people since July 23 2012.

• Barrow Foodbank gave away 7,251 three-day emergency food supplies in 2015/16, 18 per cent less than 2014/15.

• In 2014/15, 8,809 three-day emergency food supplies were provided in Barrow, Millom and Ulverston. Of this number, 3,798 went to children.

• The running costs for Barrow Foodbank are around £50,000 a year, all of which is raised locally. Costs include warehouse space, a van to pick up donated food and deliver to distribution centres, utilities and insurances.

• 66.67 tonnes of food were donated by the local community in 2015/16.