FOODBANK charity the Trussell Trust has appealed to political parties to back a supportive social security system, after announcing that it had distributed a record number of parcels to people in need over the last year.

It said that 3,121,404 parcels had been distributed up to the end of March, over a third of which were for children.

The charity said that the number had almost doubled in the last five years and that the number of first-time users was up by 40 per cent.

Parcels going to households where pensioners live increased by 27 per cent over the period in question.

Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said: “It’s 2024 and we’re facing historically high levels of foodbank need. As a society, we cannot allow this to continue. We must not let foodbanks become the new norm.

“As we approach the next UK general election, we urgently need all political leaders to set out how they will build a future where no-one needs a foodbank to survive.”

The charity called on political parties to back a “supportive social security system.”

Acting shadow work and pensions secretary Alison McGovern insisted that Labour would tackle the issue by “growing the economy, bringing down energy bills, building more affordable housing and protecting renters, and creating better, more secure jobs.”

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation repeated calls for an essentials guarantee to ensure everyone can afford the basics of life. 

Senior policy adviser Iain Porter said: “This is not what an economy returning to full health looks like. The latest record-breaking emergency food parcel figures show the painful economic reality facing families with the least.”