FOODBANK demand in York and Selby has risen again, although less steeply than the national average.

According to newly-released Trussell Trust figures, three days supply of food has been given out 3,524 times in York in the last financial year, up from 3,455 in 2013/14. Overall, 2,322 adults and 1,202 children have received meals from the foodbanks in York, which represent an average of 150 vouchers a month.

Laura Hagues, project manager of York Foodbank, said: “Although we celebrate that the numbers for York have not rocketed like they have on a national level, they are not coming down either.”

In Selby, 265 more people received a three-day food parcel last year than in 2013/14, bringing the numbers up to 1,017 people, including 305 children.

Although the number of vouchers used in Selby has remained stable, nearly 100 more adults and 69 more children have eaten food donated to the Trussell Trust in the last year.

Robert Ludlow, the chairman of the Selby Foodbank, said: “The trend seems to be that more families with children came in the last year than previously, as well as more people in employment. A lot of people are working on those zero-hour contracts. I think they are immoral.”

Food voucher are given out by care professionals such as doctors and social workers after identifying people in need. Each voucher corresponds to three meals a day for three days and caters for the number of people in the family.

A voucher can only be used three times in a six month period.

Julia Unwin, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, added: “It’s worrying to see these figures for York. High costs, low wages and problems with the benefit system all push people into poverty.

Since 2008 the cost of essentials has gone up three times faster than average wages and twice as fast as the minimum wage.

“Over the same period, the value of in and out of work benefits has fallen. It’s vital that a comprehensive plan helps to tackle the underlying causes of hardship, not aim simply to reduce foodbank use.”

The York Foodbank opened in Acomb in 2012 and now also has distribution points in Clifton, Bell Farm and Tang Hall Mrs Hagues said: “We are very rarely short of food. York is a city where there is a lot of need as well as a lot of wealth.”

All the food distributed is donated by members of the public.