More food banks across the UK than McDonald's restaurants

TOTTENHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 19: Jan Vertonghen Visits Local Foodbanks on December 19, 2019 in Tottenham, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

New research suggests there are now more foodbanks across the UK than McDonald's restaurants.

There are around 1,300 branches of the fast food chain nationwide - while the number of foodbanks is estimated at more than 2,000.

STALYBRIDGE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: A foodbank volunteer stores donations at St John's Church before distributing them to local foodbanks on January 28, 2019 in Stalybridge, England. The Tameside East foodbank is part of a nationwide network supported by The Trussell Trust, a charity working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. The project was founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the area. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

This stark statistic is likely to be an underestimate as the 2,000 figure does not include every type of foodbank, such as those operating in schools.

Garry Lemon, director of policy and research at foodbank charity The Trussell Trust, said: "More people than ever before are being forced to use food banks, having to turn to one of the 1,200 centres in our network, because they’re unable to afford the basics.

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"This just isn’t right. Foodbanks offer absolutely vital support, providing a lifeline for people that have been pulled under by the rising tide of poverty.

"But no one in the UK should need that help to begin with. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to start putting money back into the pockets of people who most need support.”

STALYBRIDGE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: A foodbank volunteer sorts through donations at the warehouse before distributing them to local foodbanks on January 28, 2019 in Stalybridge, England. The Tameside East foodbank is part of a nationwide network supported by The Trussell Trust, a charity working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. The project was founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the area. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

According to the charity, the top four reasons for using a foodbank between April and September last year were low income, benefit delay, benefit change and debt.