THE government must act now to help vulnerable families, a charity warned today as it launched its largest-ever winter food distribution programme amid a severe cost-of-living crisis.

Islamic Relief UK is distributing food packs across the country to more than 42,000 people and its local partners, which include football clubs such as Liverpool FC and Aston Villa, have reported increased numbers of people using their foodbank services as they are no longer able to adequately afford to feed their families.

The charity is calling on the government to bring back the £20 uplift to universal credit (UC), raise benefit payments in line with inflation, and for a fundamental review of the social security system to ensure benefits provide people with adequate income to cover their most basic needs.

Islamic Relief UK deputy director Zia Salik said: “Winter is often the hardest time of the year for vulnerable people in society.

“But now with the cost-of-living crisis so brutally affecting many across the country, this time of the year has grown colder still.

“Even more people have been pushed into vulnerability and those already there pushed deeper into poverty.

“Many families now must choose between food and fuel, not being able to afford to keep their children both warm and fed.”

Last year, foodbank charity Trussel Trust saw record numbers of people seeking help, with more than 760,000 people forced to turn to its sites for the first time.

Food prices increased by 19.1 per cent from 2022, the sharpest jump since August 1977.

About 350,000 more children were pushed into poverty, adding to the total of 4.2 million.

Despite 1.7 million of those being in families poor enough to receive UC, they were not eligible for free school meals.