Birmingham City Council leader says food banks are 'running out'

Council leader Ian Ward said £5m of the yearly budget would be spent helping vulnerable people

Food banks in Birmingham are "running out" of supplies as a result of the cost of living crisis, the leader of the city council said.

Ian Ward said the local authority had outlined £5m of its annual budget to spend on helping vulnerable people.

He told BBC Radio WM he found it "astonishing" that a first world nation was reliant on food banks.

"We've seen food banks increasingly running out of food earlier in the week," the Labour councillor explained.

Rising costs have caused annual food inflation to hit a high of 16.7% in January, with overall inflation at 10.1%, the Office for National Statistics said.

Councillor Ward said families and children were attending work or school hungry as they were unable to make ends meet.

"These are people who can be in work and still can't make ends meet, it's quite extraordinary," he said.

"Some of the £5m we've set aside is to actually provide food directly into food pantries and food banks in order to help people who are relying on them to get through the week."

'People need us'

The Labour-run authority recently approved a 4.99% rise in council tax, in addition to a 7% rise in rent for council tenants, under plans to invest in social housing in the region.

Councillor Ward said the council recognised that people were increasingly struggling with energy prices and inflation and called on the government to do more during the cost of living crisis.

"We've had to strike a balance here in setting the budget, recognising that people need us and our services more than ever, whilst at the same time also understanding the pressures we are under," he said.

The Department for Work and Pensions had previously granted £1.5bn of funding to local councils to support vulnerable people through its Household Support Fund, which has been extended until 31 March.