'Food banks just part of my Big Society': David Cameron tries to make virtue of rise in hungry surviving only on charity

David Cameron was branded out of touch today after hailing the huge increase in reliance on food banks as an example of the Big Society he wants to build.

The remark came as Mr Cameron was forced on to the back foot over his war on workers and campaign to drive people off disability benefits at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Labour chief Ed Miliband paid tribute to volunteers working to feed the poor, vulnerable and homeless this Christmas.

And Mr Miliband demanded: “Is the Prime Minister as concerned as I am that there has been a six-fold increase in the last three years in the number of people relying on food banks?”

The Trussell Trust, which organises food handouts across the country, estimates it will feed 230,000 people this year, up from 26,000 in 2009-10.

There was uproar when Mr Cameron tried to make a virtue of the desperate situation.

The PM said: “First of all let me echo what he said about volunteers and people who work hard in communities, part of what I call the ‘Big Society’, to help those in need.”

To jeers from Labour, he blundered on: “It is a good time of year to thank out volunteers for what they do.

“But I do share his concern about people who are struggling to pay the bills, who are struggling to deal with their budgets.”

The PM claimed that he is helping hard-up families by bringing down inflation, generating jobs and freezing council tax without mentioning cuts to tax credits and other benefits clobbering working parents.

Mr Miliband fired back: “I never thought the ‘Big Society’ was about feeding hungry children in Britain and the problem is it is working people who are turning to food banks.”

The Labour leader raised shocking research that shows teachers are being forced to feed starving pupils out of their own pocket.

“Why does he think it is happening and why does it appear to be getting worse on his watch?” he demanded.

Mr Miliband added that the PM’s answers “seem very out of touch with families up and down the country”.

Just minutes later Mr Cameron was floored by a question about a 51-year-old man who killed himself after being forced off of disability benefits.

Labour MP Ian Lavery was heard in complete silence about the suicide note left by his constituent who had been reassessed and told he no longer qualified for Employment Support Allowance.

“Across the UK there are over 1,000 people who have died only months after being told to find work.

“This is 2012. We are supposed to be a civilised society. We should be looking after the disabled citizens here in the UK.”

Emotional Mr Lavery pleaded with the PM to “finally, finally, please order an assessment of all the changes hitting disabled people in this country”.

Mr Cameron promised to look at the “tragic case” and said that “everyone’s thoughts will go out to that person’s family and to what has happened to them”.

However, he added: “The actual money we are putting in to disability benefits is going up and not down.

“But everybody knows and everyone accepts we need to have a review of disability benefits.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Lavery said the PM’s response “was not good enough”.

“He is not the only suicide. There are thousands of people dying.

“They are being told to get jobs when there is no work and they don’t understand why it is happening to them,” he added.

Source: mirror.co.uk