Trussell Scotland Research Highlights Scale of Food Insecurity Across Scotland

That the Parliament recognises research by Trussell Scotland highlighting the scale of food insecurity across Scotland, including the finding that more than half a million people are at risk of needing to use a food bank over the next year; notes with concern the finding that going without food is already a reality for one million people in Scotland, with one in six people having gone without food in the last year; acknowledges that carers, disabled people and families with a disabled relative are disproportionately affected by hunger and financial hardship; notes Trussell Scotland’s calls in its report, Hunger in the UK 2026, for urgent action from both the Scottish and UK governments to ensure that everyone can afford the essentials; believes that no one should have to rely on a food bank to survive; calls on the Scottish Government to double its efforts to end the need for food banks, including by increasing the Scottish Child Payment, strengthening the Scottish Welfare Fund and boosting investment in accessible, targeted advice and support for people facing hunger and financial hardship, and further calls on both the Scottish and UK governments to take urgent and coordinated action to address the underlying causes of poverty and ensure that everyone has enough money to afford food and other essentials.