Families face stark choice of '˜heating or eating'

People on pre-payment meters are particularly at risk of having to choose between heating or eating, said the Trussell Trust.

A survey of its more than 400 foodbanks showed that almost half of people given emergency food supplies might not be able to afford to pay for heating or hot water.

Only one in seven foodbanks operate in areas where a local council-led fuel poverty scheme was running, said the Trust.

Foodbanks across Leeds are bracing themselves for a record Christmas as more families than ever will turn to them for help. The Trussell Trust, which runs a network of foodbanks across the city, has said December is the worst time of year for people going hungry.

The Yorkshire Evening Post is calling on our loyal readers to dig deep and support the return of our Feed A Family campaign which relaunched earlier this month. We are calling on you to donate to the city’s foodbanks to support some of our most vulnerable families in Leeds who desperately turn to the service to make ends meet.

The Trust’s chief executive David McAuley said: “A crisis in winter for someone on a pre-payment meter who can’t afford the bare essentials isn’t just shocking, it’s dangerous.

“We’ve met a grandma who went without food and heating as she waited six weeks for a delayed pay cheque.

“Without the superb support offered by foodbanks people would be going cold, hungry, and falling seriously ill.”

Donations cane be made to the Trussell Leeds South and East drop-off point is at Unit 16, Ashbrooke Business Park, Parkside Lane The Leeds North and West drop-off point is at 62a Burley Road.