NEW figures reveal the extent of poverty and homelessness in Brighton and Hove.

One of the busiest food banks in the city has seen a 62 per cent increase in the number of people referred to it for emergency food supplies.

It come as new figures, released by national charity Shelter, put the city second in the country for having the highest number of homeless people outside London.

Whitehawk Foodbank had an increase in users of 62 per cent between April and September 2017 – that is an additional 246 three-day emergency food supplies provided to local people in crisis –compared with the same period in the previous year.

In total, 644 people were in such desperation they needed emergency food supplies from the food bank run by charity The Trussell Trust.

The figure has been put down to continued issues with benefits payments, with nearly 60 per cent of the reasons given for referral relating to benefit changes or delays in receiving money.

Doug Curties, manager of Whitehawk Foodbank, said: “It’s really worrying that we are still seeing such an increase in need for emergency food across Whitehawk and East Brighton and this is before the introduction of Universal Credit.

“Every week people are referred to us after something unavoidable – like illness, a delayed benefit payment or an unexpected bill – means there’s no money for food.

“It’s only with local people’s help that we’re able to provide vital support when it matters most, and whilst we hope one day there’ll be no need for our work, until that day comes we’ll be working hard to help prevent people going hungry.”

The increase, which mirrors a national trend, is worrying for the charity, considering the figures do not include the traditional spike in food bank usage due to cold weather and high energy bills in the months leading up to Christmas.

Universal Credit in Brighton is being rolled-out to new some claiments this winter. 

Further pressure on the food donation stock and volunteer capacity is expected as a result.

This has been experienced at other food banks where people have been in crisis due to the six or more weeks wait for their first payment.

The crisis comes as national homeless charity Shelter released a list putting Brighton and Hove in second place for the local authority with the highest rates of people recorded as homeless.

It says 4, 218 people are recorded as rough sleeping or living in temporary accommodation – that is one in 69 people.

Brighton and Hove City Council was pipped to first place by Luton, and ranked 20th nationally out of the top 50 local authorities for homelessness.

Chief executive of Brighton Housing Trust Andy Winter said the statistic was a tragedy.

He said: “The figures does not surprise me, but it saddens me.

“In one of the richest countries in the world these figures highlight the human tragedy of homelessness as well the need for a radical change in government policy.

“We need a fundamental change in approach and a massive programme of council house building.

“Merely building more luxury flats in Brighton will do nothing to help this appalling situation.”

Mr Winter put down the homelessness crisis in the city to the lack of affordable housing, fanned by students staying in the city after graduation and the “inflationary aspect” of wealthy people moving down from London.

He added: “We have also seen people who have been in housing for a considerable amount of time losing their accommodation due to relation breakdowns and the ending of assured shorthold tenancies which has been the single greatest factor of people ending up homeless.

“The council is doing everything they possibly can, but central Government has tied both its hands behind its back and still expects it to juggle fluently.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “Tackling the causes of rough sleeping and looking after people living on our streets are key priorities for us.

“Across the council and working with external partners, we are supporting people living on the streets, at risk of homelessness and in need of housing.

“There is a national crisis in the number of people facing the risk of homelessness.

“We know the introduction of Universal Credit and other related legislation is increasing the pressures on low income households across the country.

“In Brighton and Hove, where affordable housing is already in huge demand, these pressures are being felt sharply.

“We are doing everything we can to build new council homes and help bring back into use private sector properties that are for whatever reason empty.

“The level of need locally has been recognised by the Government, which recently awarded us the highest grant in the South East to support homeless people and those at risk of homelessness.

“Alongside our partners in the citywide rough sleeper strategy, we’ve seen around 1,500 people in the last year, of which 1,300 have been helped away from the streets.

“Around half of the rough sleepers we work with do not have a local connection.

“In such cases we try to re-connect people with areas in the country where they have a local link as this gives a better chance of accessing housing and other support services they need.

“We are continually looking for new ways to help and support vulnerable rough sleepers to try to prevent the numbers of people in need rising.”