Fife foodbank reveals people feed their pets first in lockdown struggles

The charity is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

But it also supports pets as more people report that they prioritise feeding their animals before themselves.

Lynn Smart, acting manager, said: “We have received large donations of pet food from Amazon, the community and most of the supermarkets in the area. It really does show that the community cares.

"People treat their pets really well and will feed them before they feed themselves, so we try to give them as much pet food as we can.”

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She added: "A lot of the time people are unaware that we also provide pet food.

"Before the pandemic people would be able to come inside the foodbank and we would check to see if they had any pets, but because everything is now done over the phone or email it can be easy to miss these details.”

Lynn said demand for support from the foodbank has risen.

“The biggest increase in visitors came when restrictions were lifted at the end of last year – not just people who claim benefits, but also those who work and are struggling to make ends meet.

"We are seeing a large number of people who have been furloughed needing support as 80% of minimum wage is clearly not enough to cover bills and put food on the table.”

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