HALF of all households using foodbanks are struggling to afford essentials such as food and clothes because of universal credit (UC) debt repayments, it was revealed today.

Foodbank users are more commonly in debt to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) than to friends, family members or extortionate payday loan firms, according to the Trussell Trust.

The charity, which runs Britain’s biggest foodbank network, said that monthly deductions from UC payments could reduce claimants’ incomes by up to a third.