Growing numbers of people in the Bradford district are being forced to turn to charities to feed them, it was revealed today.

The Salvation Army in Keighley is handing out up to 100 food parcels a week – more than double the demand it faced this time last year as the recession continues.

It has reported that many more people are struggling to survive on their wages or benefits.

Major Alison Gardner, of the Keighley branch, said: “It has increased dramatically in the last six months and the type of people that need food parcels has changed dramatically.

“People whose benefits have been cut, people who have lost their jobs, people who are on incapacity benefit, people who are trying to adjust to redundancy, people whose relationships and living circumstances have changed.

“Christmas is usually a busier time, but before Christmas and now after Christmas it is busier than it has ever been, I think due to the economic climate. The general cost of living has gone so high and benefits haven’t increased with that.”

Major Martin Wheeler, leader at Bradford Salvation Army Citadel, said the need for its services had also risen significantly.

“People are turning to charities when their own resources have run out where in the past their resources would have seen them through,” he said.

“For all you hear in the news, there are real issues and I think there’s greater job redundancies going on, shortened hours, no overtime, and when they come together it feels as though there’s a real pinch on resources.”

The Bradford Foodbank, part of the Trussell Trust, said in its first year it had aimed to help 300 people, but ended up supporting more than three times that number, handing out a total of eight tonnes of food.

Project manager Gareth Jones said. “We simply cannot get enough food in to meet demand.

“We’re not having to turn people away, when we run down low on supplies we are asking all the time but when you come to a crisis point, people are very generous.”

Mr Jones said the organisation provides food, a warm and safe environment, someone to talk to and a signposting service to get people in touch with the right agencies to help them.

Ken Leach, of the Bradford Metropolitan Food Bank, said December was the busiest month in its history.

“I would say there is a greater need,” he said. “There is unemployment and all the economic problems we are faced with.”