R.A.B.I saw a huge 47% rise in the amount it paid to working farmers, farmworkers and their dependants last year, compared to 2017. The charity gave out grants of 437,825 to 215 working families in 2018, a significant increase on 2017s figure of 297,000. Overall, R.A.B.I paid out around 2.22m to 1,248 individuals / families in financial need in England and Wales during 2018. Alicia Chivers, CEO, said: Across the board, the amount we paid out last year increased significantly. Historically, R.A.B.I has probably been best known for helping the elderly, sick and disabled, but year on year we are being asked to do much more to support working families, and we fully expect that trend to continue. 2018 was a particularly difficult year for many in farming, with adverse weather a contributing factor. Lots of working families struggled to recover from the effects of the Beast from the East in the spring because they were subsequently hit by a prolonged and testing summer drought." Read more on the R.A.B.I website.