Food banks warn they are struggling to meet demand

Food banks across the UK have told Money Box they are facing increased demand, but falling donations, as the cost of living crisis bites people across the income range. This research, which took place in June, covered 116 out of 505 organisations which are part of IFAN - the Independent Food Aid Network. Those 116 organisations cover 203 food banks across the UK and 9 out of 10 of them told us they had seen an increase in demand since the start of this year. More than half said they've also seen seen food donations fall. IFAN, a registered charity and anti-poverty campaign group, helps run food banks which tend to be run by volunteers across local communities. For context, we don't know how many food banks there are in the UK, but the Trussell Trust, which has its own network of more than 1,400 of them, recently reported giving out more than 2.1 million food parcels in the year to March. We reported on Money Box a couple of weeks ago that energy prices are expected to rise substantially in October and then again in January. But why does the price get fixed by the regulator Ofgem? Would a change in the way the market works bring bills down? We'll hear from Dr Craig Lowrey, Senior Consultant at Cornwall Insight which produces forecasts of where the price of energy is going.Why it's not too late for pensioners to claim extra help and get the first £326 cost of living payment that is being sent out this week. (the number for claiming is 0800 991234) Plus, new data suggests many homeowners are fixing their mortgage rates early, in the hope of securing a better deal. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Sandra Hardial Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 23rd July, 12pm)