@Newyorkhereicome excellent post. Absolutely employers should be paying an ACTUAL living wage.
The discrepancy between nmw and ceo level pay is wider than its ever been in this country
Nobody on her has said "let the kids go hungry" actually numerous posters have implied EXACTLY that sentiment! That they'd rather CHILDREN go hungry than taxpayers feed them.
Yes ideally their parents could afford to feed them but poor wages, a badly run economy etc are making that impossible for too many families
@Curlyshabtree thank you
Surely the anger shouldn't be at the fact it has now been agreed they will provide the vouchers, but at the fact they are needed in the first place ?

Exactly!
Tories and Tory voters have banged on for DECADES that tories are supposedly better at running the economy, that has now been roundly and thoroughly disproven, bloody obvious really - a well run economy does not have the levels of poverty we currently see which have been increasingly worsening over last 10 years or so, people in a WEALTHY Country literally DYING of starvation
In England we are not in poverty most of the time we have a welfare system.
@sweetlikecoca
1 there is a difference between relative poverty and absolute poverty - I strongly suggest you educate yourself on these matters
2 there absolutely ARE people and families in absolute poverty in this country and that has been increasing over the term of this govt, street homelessness, malnutrition & associated diseases have all increased.
3 this govt have continually and repeatedly “tweaked” the welfare system in order to reduce spending, NOT because we can’t afford it but because THEY don’t agree with it. They have ideological bias against having a welfare system inc nhs and ALWAYS HAVE - easy for them to decide/believe this considering to the best of my knowledge not 1 of the current cabinet have ever had to go without ANYTHING essential in their lives! They’ve certainly never gone fucking hungry!
They believe the poor are poor through laziness and fecklessness which is utter bollocks!
As I said in my previous post it is pure LUCK
This cartoon provides a brief and very simplified explanation
https://digitalsynopsis.com/inspiration/privileged-kids-on-a-plate-pencilsword-toby-morris/
A big problem in UK people have poor money management you’re right - but I suspect you don’t understand exactly why!
Financial education is STILL not considered an important part of education, Martin Lewis has been campaigning for it to be a full and thorough part of the curriculum for years, but so far no success - it suits govts (I fear of all colours to a degree sadly) for the populace NOT to understand fiscal management even at a basic level, it leaves the population mired in debt and stress that distracts from other issues.
I am LUCKY that I have parents who are quite savvy - not by being taught by their parents particularly (though they both came from v poor working class backgrounds, both literally born into glasgow slum conditions post war, so money had to be carefully managed) but in my mothers case from working in accounting depts and having kindly mentors and from educating themselves by reading up in library books and certain other resources.
THEY were LUCKY to in mums case get the jobs with those colleagues who were able and willing to teach her and BOTH to have the ability to understand and learn about interest rates etc - not everyone has that ability!
They taught us (siblings and I) basic budgeting, savvy shopping (not to blindly accept a special offer is actually cheaper, to calculate price per ml/g to compare, what ingredients make meals go further), practical skills (cooking, sewing, clothes care, basic diy and car and cycle maintenance) - again LUCKY they had been taught, LUCKY they & we were capable of both learning and being able to carry out these things.
I’m disabled now so some things I have to pay someone to do and it’s most disheartening but necessary.
Most of life is LUCK!
Johnson isn’t as wealthy as he is due to hard work! He was born into a wealthy, fit, healthy and intellectual family and has never done a days GRAFT in his life!!
Also, for those commenting on how they aren't getting much more than people on benefits, that indicates wages are too low for the cost of living, not that benefits are too high. absolutely!
Their ire is aimed in the wrong direction, don’t begrudge those worse off than you who have NO power to change things, get angry at the wealthy and powerful who COULD make your lives better and CHOOSE not to - because they think you’re not worthy!
@sweetlikecoca it is NOT bullshit! Peoples circumstances change and they can well find themselves living in a rural area with only m&s or Waitrose as the nearest stores and astronomically expensive AND minimal public transport!
What the solution is, I have no idea.
How about instead of taxpayers money being used to fund vanity projects, unnecessary mps expenses, to bribe corporations with tax breaks etc that money is used to provide enough welfare support?
How about employers are legally required to pay an ACTUAL living wage and not allowed to use shitty zero hours contracts?
Just for starters!
But I do think that food banks should be looking to work with debt charities to help people stop using food banks many if not most already do - but you can’t get blood out of a stone! If people don’t have enough income to cover basic living costs what are they supposed to do?
Even make sure you are claiming the correct level of benefits/pensions etc again, mostly already happens, but this govts welfare “reforms” mean that most if not all benefits have been effectively cut due to freezes etc, universal credit has been used to sneakily reduce what claimants receive, bedroom tax etc, also the people & agencies who are trained and able to advise claimants have Also suffered major cuts due to central govt policies.
I also think that it should be easier to get out of contracts for sky/mobile phones etc this is a bit trickier as those companies have to cover their costs too but I think shorter contracts should be available - I remember when mobile phone contracts were first a “thing” that 3 and 6 month contracts were possible. There is an element of financial education being a factor here, people need taught how to properly understand IF they can afford such a contract for the length of the contract IF they were to lose their job or something.
In terms of phones and other IT - I’d personally make “planned obsolescence” illegal as it’s starting to be in some countries. That IT companies are currently allowed to DELIBERATELY design tech to only last 2-3 years is a disgrace.
I’d also tighten up regulation of the how well made larger household items are - white goods, hoovers etc as there seem to be a lot of corners cut there now too yet consumers are being charged horrific amounts for kit which doesn’t last more than 4/5 years.
@okiedokieme - then acknowledge you are LUCKY
LUCKY that someone taught you how to cook
LUCKY that you’re fit and well enough to cook
LUCKY that you have the time to cook
LUCKY that you have the resources to cook - some of the poorest families in the Uk don’t even have a cooker, or if they do can’t afford the energy to run it and THAT is why they’re doing microwave meals or pot noodles or whatever!
I think it's much cheaper to buy ready meals; the basic ranges are scarily cheap. also very true!
@sweetlikecoca I live in a very deprived area, 2 of the villages near me the ONLY shop is a small m&s food shop, the public transport to these villages is woefully inadequate and hideously expensive.