THE foodbank in Malvern is calling on residents to contact their MP in protest at proposed universal credit cuts.

With the proposed cut of £20 to universal credit, Malvern Hills Foodbank is calling for the government not to "cut adrift vulnerable people".

Peter Buchanan, the foodbank's chair of trustees, said: "We’ve been providing emergency support to local people since 2013 and although we’ll always do whatever we can to get people the help they need, no one should be struggling to afford the essentials.

"We don’t want even more people to need our help this winter. But this is the biggest overnight cut to social security since the Second World War and will be a huge blow for millions of families both in and out of work.

"It will also land right at the start of what is usually our busiest time of the year, just as the colder weather starts drawing in.

"Social security should be strong enough for all of us to rely on when we need a lifeline – because, as the pandemic has shown us, life is full of things we can’t plan for.

"The UK government must choose to protect people when they need support, not cut them adrift.

"If you agree, please write to Harriett Baldwin MP and ask her to help keep the lifeline."

New research conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Trussell Trust found that a fifth of people currently claiming Universal Credit – representing 1.2 million people in the UK – say they are ‘very likely’ to need to skip meals when the cut hits.

Furthermore, 21 per cent of people surveyed – representing 1.3 million people – told researchers they would struggle to heat their homes this winter if their income is slashed in October.

Worryingly, 11 per cent surveyed representing 670,000 people, say it's very likely they won’t be able to afford to switch on their oven to cook food after the cut.

Malvern Hills Food bank, part of the Trussell Trust’s network, provided 3,900 emergency food parcels to local people in Malvern, Upton-upon-Severn and surrounding villages between April 2020 and March 2021. Of this number, 1,600 went to children.

Local people are being urged to write to their MP and call on them to take action: trusselltrust.org/keepthelifeline.