PROBLEMS with Universal Credit are driving an increase in the number of emergency supplies handed out at food banks, new figures have revealed.

The Trussell Trust said its network provided 658,048 supplies across the country between April and September, which is a 13 per cent increase on the same period a year ago.

The charity said that if the five-week minimum wait for a first Universal Credit payment is not reduced, the only way to prevent more people being forced to rely on food banks is to pause all new claims for the benefit.

The Trust believes problems with Universal Credit was increasingly driving referrals to food banks.

The figures have shown the number of foodbank users in the period April 2017 to September 2018 have increased in most areas of Gwent. Caerphilly saw its foodbank users increase from 2,624 to 2,771 in the period, Monmouthshire saw a rise from 1,007 to 1,148, Newport also saw a rise from 1,439 to 1,969 and an increase was also recorded in Torfaen, where users went up from 2,883 to 3,118. Blaenau Gwent was the only area of Gwent which saw a fall, from 2,003 in the same period to 1,958.

Emma Revie, who is the chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: "Our benefits system is supposed to anchor any of us from being swept into poverty, but if Universal Credit is to do that, we need to see urgent changes.

"It's not right that people are being forced to use food banks after weeks of waiting for Universal Credit payments. The changes announced in last week's Budget are a good start - but they won't solve all of the problems food banks see, and they won't help people making new claims this winter.

"We're seeing soaring levels of need at food banks. If the five-week wait isn't reduced, the only way to stop even more people being forced to food banks this winter will be to pause all new claims to Universal Credit, until funding is in place to reduce the five week wait.

"Food banks cannot continue to pick up the pieces - we have to make sure our benefits system can protect people from hunger."

A department for work and pensions spokesman said: "Universal Credit replaces an out-of-date, complex benefits system with cliff edges that disincentivised work and often trapped people in unemployment.

"We have just announced that we will be increasing the amount people can earn on Universal Credit by £1,000 before their payment begins to be reduced, to ensure work always pays, and introduced £1 billion to help people moving over from the old benefits system to Universal Credit.

"This is on top of the improvements we have already made - advances have increased to 100 per cent, the seven-day waiting period has been removed and we are paying housing benefit for an additional two weeks when people move onto Universal Credit.

"The reasons why people use food banks are complex, so it's wrong to link a rise to any one cause."