Rural transport is added cost for low income families

The living wage in the Chichester district needs to be higher to meet housing and transport costs, foodbank organisers have said.

It comes after university research figures revealed one in five children in the district were living under the poverty line.

Joanna Kondabeka from Chichester district foodbank said housing, utilities and other area related costs put pressure on the 37 per cent of foodbank users in employment.

She said: “Sixty-one per cent of the district is in a rural area so things like transport are really expensive in this area and trying to get children to school, to a supermarket, doctors, etc, that all costs money, so you’re either having to catch the bus or get in a car.”

She said zero hours contracts were also difficult for families depending on an irregular income.

Chrissy Abbott, who runs the Midhurst branch of the foodbank, said half of all the parcels provided by the centre in St Ann’s Road had to be delivered to people unable to get to the foodbank because of transport issues.

She said that in some parts of West Sussex