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By Michael BuchananSocial affairs correspondent, BBC News

More food parcels than ever before were handed out in The Past Year by the UK's largest food-bank provider.

The Trussell Trust said almost three million had been distributed - 37% More Than the previous Year - with 1. 1 million of them provided for Children .

And in December it gave out a food parcel every Eight Seconds , on average.

The Department for Work and Pensions said it was giving Vulnerable families " record levels of direct financial support".

Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said: " It's the First Time that we've distributed over one million parcels for Children - an awful first to have.

" The Level of need is Even Higher than we saw during The First Year of the pandemic, which we all thought would be a record once-in-a-lifetime high. "

The Trust 's annual report says:

The Trust provided emergency food and support from almost 1,650 centres, Last Year , with demand increasing in all areas of the UK But especially:

In Cardiff, Claire Hillard, picking up a food parcel for the First Time in about a Year , said: " I've got nothing in my fridge, my Freezer - They 're all empty. Even my tinned stuff has gone. "

She had sometimes been too stubborn to seek help, Ms Hillard said, But " it's just got so bad now".

" My bills are literally taking up all my money and I'm left with really nothing to buy food, " She Said .

And with her benefit payment not due for several days, she would be unable to feed her Children .

" This is what's Happening Now each month - Come The Last week and I've just got nothing, " Ms Hillard said.

" Every Time I go shopping, my bills just Keep Going up - and I feel I can't feed my two boys. "

'Eradicating poverty'

Rising food and energy costs in particular have seen many households struggling over The Past Year - But neither the pandemic nor recent cost-of-living pressures could explain The Rising demand over The Past five years, Ms Revie said.

" It is ongoing low levels of income and a social-security system that isn't fit for purpose that are forcing more people to need food banks, " She Said .

" Food banks were Set Up to provide short-term support to people in an emergency - They are not a lasting solution to hunger and poverty.

" For too long people have been going without because social-security payments do not reflect life's essential costs - and people are being pushed deeper into hardship as a result. "

The Charity is calling for the basic level of universal credit to be increased so it always covers " essential costs".

The Department for Work and Pensions said: " We Are committed to eradicating poverty and we recognise the pressures of The Rising cost of living, which is why we have uprated benefits by 10. 1% as well as making an unprecedented increase to The National Living Wage this month.

" We Are also providing record levels of direct financial support for The Most Vulnerable - £1,200 Last Year and a further £1,350 in 2023-24. "

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Source of news: bbc.com