A CIVIC chief is calling for action after the number of people using the food bank in Romsey almost doubled.

Cllr Alan Dowden is urging the government to look at Universal Credit again and is asking local authorities to support the the town’s food bank.

Universal Credit is replacing six benefits, merging them into one payment.

But as previously reported, delays in payments have been blamed for the increase in the number of people using the Romsey food bank.

It has been revealed that 1,215 people used the food bank between March 2017 and 2018 – 573 people more than the year before.

The most recent figures have not yet been released, but Romsey food bank manager Jo Topley said they have already seen an increase on last year.

Now Cllr Dowden said: “Universal Credit has caused a lot of people to get into debts and they have to keep paying their rent so they are denying themselves food.

“They have to look at the system again and made sure sufficient money is upfront for people so they have not to go into debts.”

Ms Topley has also confirmed that for some children the school dinner is the only hot meal they have during the day.

She said she is now looking into the possibility of opening the food bank five days a week rather than just on Wednesdays and Fridays.

But Cllr Dowden, who has donated £800 to the charity using a Hampshire County Council’s grant, is also urging local authorities to support the food bank.

He said: “I feel saddened that it has gone unnoticed until we have been contacted by Jo Topley and the churches in North Baddesley because it is an affluent area and this should not be happening,” Councillor Dowden said.