please empty your brain below
It of note that this food book does not require referrals. Far too many do and thus lets those perhaps in most need slip through the net and quite possibly end up on the streets/rough sleeping or in prison.

Working Class Hero | 16.05.17 - 6:37 a.m. | #

Every month we collect money at work for the local food bank and then I head off to the supermarket to buy among other things tins of soup, tampons and baby food. In a small way it is our little act of resistance against austerity and the view that anyone in food poverty has only themselves to blame.

ganching | Homepage | 16.05.17 - 7:11 a.m. | #

'Those in charge' rely on the fact that those in work have no idea about what's happening elsewhere, so they can talk about all the 'help' they provide to those less fortunate, everyone has parallel lives today.

Still anon | 16.05.17 - 7:15 a.m. | #

The fact that this country has seen a massive increase both in number of food banks, and use of them, should be seen as a national disgrace. Instead we have a government who by its failings, increase demand. But worse, far worse, is that they don't see it as a problem, but as the community doing a good job.

I give money to my local food bank. I really shouldn't have to. The state should be stepping in to help people. Instead it's often the state that is causing People to go there.

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 16.05.17 - 8:56 a.m. | #

Well done to you, but so long as you do, Tories will be able to use YOU as the excuse for being the 'party of low taxation'. Voting for a 70 yo who won't blow up the world seems like a very positive act by comparison.

Brian | 16.05.17 - 9:18 a.m. | #

I hope the foodbank volunteers will be happily surprised by a brief burst of donations over the next day or two.

Great Aunt Annie | 16.05.17 - 9:38 a.m. | #

The duty of a government is to look after it's people. This government certainly does that. The poor, those in difficulties and those in need are, obviously not it's people.

Tansy Treadwell | 16.05.17 - 9:39 a.m. | #

Brian - absolutely. The low-tax bastards have got it sewn up. Save money, make people starve, when people help them use that as an excuse not to do anything.

It's not going to change under Theresa May. And she claims to be a Christian too...

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 16.05.17 - 9:39 a.m. | #

There are many complex reasons why people use food banks!

Running_Correspondent | 16.05.17 - 10:12 a.m. | #

Running_Correspondent - there are. But thankfully the Trussell Trust publish analysis on why.

Here's their latest:
https://www.trusselltrust.org/2017/04/25/uk-foodbank-use-continues-rise/

One big whopper is Universal Credit. Areas where Universal Credit has been introduced have seen a "16.85% average increase in referrals for emergency food, more than double the national average of 6.64%"

Let's look at the top 3 causes.

26.45% of referrals are a case of low income. That's a complex issue.

But WOW look at that. 26.01% are caused by delays in getting benefits. That's certainly not a complex issue.

16.65% caused by benefit changes. Changes in benefits have repercussions. Gosh, who would have thought of that.

So right now the state basically causes 42.66% of food bank referrals. That's not complex. That's just avoidable.

(The benefit delays are - it has to be said - down from 27.95% the previous year. https://www.trusselltrust.org/2016/04/15/foodbank-use-remains-record-high/)

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 16.05.17 - 10:22 a.m. | #

I think Running_Correspondent was quoting the evasive response the PM gave as to why there are so many nurses using food banks.
But I agree, it's a disgrace in which the government plays a leading role.

Cornish Cockney | 16.05.17 - 11:20 a.m. | #

Ah, silly me :)

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 16.05.17 - 11:27 a.m. | #

Fortunately, Andrew's information is useful and relevant, regardless of the exact reason (with misunderstanding) why he supplied it. And fortunately (or rather sensibly) he did not let this misunderstanding provoke him into any sort of personal attack. All good civilized stuff.

But yes, nurses using food banks does tell us something that we need to know.

Malcolm | 16.05.17 - 1:17 p.m. | #

'Nurses using food banks' does indeed make an arresting headline.

A web search suggests that nurses' salaries in the UK start at around £18k, and average around £23k. Very large numbers of people get by on less than those figures without recourse to using food banks.

Tempting though it is to blame all the world's ills on 'the government', there may often be factors at play which are outside the power of any government to influence.

Nightmale | 16.05.17 - 2:39 p.m. | #

"But yes, nurses using food banks does tell us something that we need to know."

Presumably none of you discussing this heard More or Less on R4 last week? (12th May - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p052rqxb )

Possibly my most favourite programme - debunks many statistical myths/quotes/media items each week.

Should be on a for an hour each day, as the minimum. There is probably material for 5 hours a day until after the GE...

Blue Witch | Homepage | 16.05.17 - 7:39 p.m. | #

@Blue Witch

Indeed so, and I've found a web-based outfit who seem to be attempting something similar, here ... https://fullfact.org/economy/how-many-nurses-are-using-foodbanks/

I've only just stumbled upon this so I make no claims for its authoritativeness.

Nightmale | 16.05.17 - 9:27 p.m. | #

Just a reminder, if one were needed, that median earnings for someone in full-time employment is about £28,000. So half of those in full-time employment are earning less than that. And many people are not in full-time employment for one reason or another, of course.

Taking employee's national insurance contributions into account, the basic rate of tax on earnings is actually 32%, the higher rate is 42%, and the additional rate is 47%.

The rates of income tax on dividends, and of capital gains tax, are both significantly lower, and neither is subject to NI.

And VAT is regressive, in the sense that the poorest pay the largest proportion of their net income in VAT, and the richest pay the lowest proportion of their income.

The best taxes are of course the ones that are paid by other people.

Andrew | 17.05.17 - 12:45 a.m. | #

I appreciate Andrew's point - backed with statistics, which is always a bonus. However I disagree that it is the governments' responsibility to run food banks. We cannot outsource personal/community responsibility to the government. The disadvantaged and poorest in society will sadly always exist. We should in our communities, streets etc. have an interest in those around us. The government, from Whitehall, cannot be completely effective. One policy will never assist every person. But specific help from one person to another always will.

louise | 17.05.17 - 10:47 a.m. | #

Louise - I wouldn't say government should run foodbanks. I personally think it would be far more preferable if they didn't exist at all; that no one should, for no fault of their own, have to rely on them.

That's a laudable but no doubt unachievable goal.

However if foodbanks have to exist, they should absolutely not have to mop up the mess of a welfare system that isn't working properly, and in some cases, is deliberately designed in such a way that pushes people to have to use food banks - as the six week wait for any money in Universal Credit does.

The Trussell Trust's statistics give a pretty clear indication that foodbank usage could be cut if the government made the welfare system work properly for those who need it. This is not even a case of widening the number of people who claim welfare - just making it work for the people who are already claiming it.

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 17.05.17 - 11:04 a.m. | #











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