Carer has to skip meals to ensure her daughter has enough food

The Office for National Statistics figures, released on Wednesday, show the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks dropped by 0.2% between August and September.

It is the first time the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks has fallen since May 2024.

However the figures also show the inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic drinks was 4.5% for the year to September.

For the previous six months prices consistently increased, but much of the pressure comes from the longer term.

In the five years to July, food prices increased by around 37%. Put simply, £10 worth of food bought five years ago would now cost you £13.70.

As prices of everyday staples rise, ordinary households are struggling to cope.

Food banks have become an indispensable resource for many as inflation drives prices ever higher.

The Trussell Trust, an anti-poverty charity, supports a number of food banks in Northern Ireland, including the one used by Alicia.

But the same food price inflation which is forcing more people to turn to food banks, is putting those resources under real pressure.

As people face rising food costs of their own, the number of items donated has decreased, forcing food banks to purchase more of their own food at today's higher prices.