WARNINGS of a surge in demand for emergency food rations and debt advice in Barrow are being made after the new benefit cap came in force yesterday.

The cap to limit the amount of money households receive in certain benefits has been reduced from £26,000 a year to £20,000, a move which has lead to fears many will struggle to pay bills and could become homeless as a result.

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It comes as figures are released today showing that usage of Barrow Foodbank increased for the first six months of the year, with more than 3,000 three-day food supplies handed out to people in need.

Fresh fears

Responding to the fear surrounding the new benefit cap, Ann Mills, project manager of Barrow Foodbank, said it added to people's worries.

She said: "We are concerned and we are building up our food stocks. We are getting ready for the extra people coming in over the winter.

"We think that there are going to be a lot of families hit badly. A lot of families are moving onto Universal Credit and that's being capped.

"So many have just fallen through the net in the most horrendous way."

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A total of 3,332 three-day emergency food supplies were provided to local people by Barrow Foodbank, which has satellite sites in Ulverston and Millom, from April 1 to September 30.

This includes 1,159 going to children and compares with 2,982 given out during the same period in 2015.

The top three reasons for food bank referral in Barrow were benefit delays, child holiday meals and benefit changes.

Single parents

The benefit cap has been criticised by many sectors of society, with fears it will hit around 64,000 new households and particularly affect single parents.

The government states the cut will make work pay and get more people into employment.

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "The benefit cap provides a clear incentive to move into a job, even if it is part time, as anyone eligible for working tax credits is exempt."

The Trussell Trust, the organisation which runs Barrow Foodbank, has also called for a food bank telephone 'hotline' to local job centres to support people in crisis quicker.

David McAuley, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: "To stop UK hunger we must make sure the welfare system works fairly and compassionately, stopping people getting to a point where they have no money to eat.

"It feels like we could be seeing a new era at the DWP with a consultation on work capability assessments and willingness to engage in dialogue with charities working on the front line.

"A telephone hotline could build on this and go a long way to improving foodbanks' ability to help get people out of a crisis faster."

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.