to go off piste with food bank donations, as they only list wanting junk food

[haveatarday]

At the shops now. The local food bank is only asking for junk food on their list (crisps, biscuits, pot noodles, pasta and sauce, corn flakes).

Aibu to not get these but get healthier stuff, like tinned fruit in natural juce, oats, mixed seeds etc?

I've just found put via good old google that's a food bank extremely close to me. If I randomly wanted to donate a bag, can I just walk in when it's open with a carrier bag full of food?
Or do you give it via supermarkets, as we don't always have many food bank drives round here?

I donate to our foodbank each month, I tend to donate half toiletries and half biscuits/ chocolate/ snacks /pot noodles etc. Ours always seem to have plenty of staples (I think supermarkets provide some tbh) and so donate things that might give people a lift. They did particularly well this month as I stocked up on the reduced selection boxes and biscuits just after Christmas and donated them.
I can't believe OP is judging vulnerable members of society rather than a system that exists that means men women and children are going hungry in this day and age .

This might seem an odd question, but how do people get emergency top ups on their gas/electric meter? I mean, we've discussed the whole "having to choose between heat and cooking/eat" thing. But if they're on a meter, wouldn't it be helpful to have somewhere that people could donate a fiver that goes on a card that people could be given (even with their food bag maybe) towards their gas or electric? Is there somewhere that even does this?

It just makes me incredibly sad thinking that children are sitting in the cold, waiting to eat Pot Noodle IYSWIM. (and no, I don't mean that in a condescending way)

I'm not talking about the emergency fiver on your meter - I have a meter, so I know about that, and you have to pay it back. I'm talking about donating money towards something people could be given.

That is a really good question, Alice - I'd like to know that too.

I would donate to an electricity or gas card f it were possible, I already give to food banks

That is a fantastic idea, about the fuel top ups.

Personally I'd rather we stopped charging those on pre-payment a premium for the privilege and instead charged them a fair price.

Handing out top up fuel cards only rewards the immorality of the energy companies who profit hugely from inflated tariffs for pre-payment customers.

And I know a few older people who are comfortable and who would donate their winter fuel allowance to such a scheme.

as Lilly says I tend to give toiletries as well as at christmas they asked for christmas cake (I got some bars, individually wrapped) and whatever else they asked for.

They were asking for razors, body spray etc but I only get what's on the list as it's pointless to stockpile the foodbank with stuff that gets stored or to give stuff that won't be used.

Moving Good point. That should happen anyway. You are right, it's immoral.

Moving That starts raising some very difficult points. Because "we" don't charge people with pre-payment meters a premium: the energy companies do. And we can't stop them, however immoral we think they are.

But people are still suffering because they don't have enough money to feed the meter adequately.

Here, now, what do we do? It's like Nomama's questions above about regular clients. Should food banks turn people away because the Government is shirking its responsibilities?

It's how they get away with it.

Spot on, moving. I could argue that people could donate to fuel top-ups and campaign for people using them to be on a fair tariff - though there is a risk that, if kind people are topping up the cards for the people in the worst fuel poverty, the energy companies might use that as an excuse not to lower these tariffs - it is a difficult one.

But on the whole, I think I would rather donate, and know that someone could afford to keep their house warm.

I'm afraid it is "we" ladybird. We as a society allow this to happen, not to mention that many of us are indirect beneficiaries via the shareholdings of our investments or pension plans.

Government on behalf of us all could legislate to change the current immoral system.

I'm not suggesting re-nationalisation or anything as drastic as that although I wouldn't say no to the proposal just something that stops energy companies behaving as immoral bastards.

But you have to remember that food banks exist for those who have to choose between heat and eat.

So the fact that we exist means that more money can be earmarked for fuel. Relieving that dilemma is why we exist.

If we also start handing out fuel cards what next? Clothing allowances?

Charitable organisations cannot become responsible for the health of the poorest of the nation. We just can't.

Also think of it this way:

Question: I have an idea. Why don't we give the poorest of society food, heating and clothing coupons? Then they can always access food, heating and clothing.

Response: But that is treating them like children, just give them the money

DM Response: But they'll just spend it on drugs, them all being addicts, etc

Other response: But that is to stigmatise them. Like free school meals it just points out who the poor people are!

And on and on and on.

Totally agree Nomama. There is a difference between providing relief for those who are outside the system (the homeless for example) and providing relief for those who are being failed by the current system.

The very fact we need food banks is shameful. Utterly shameful. Charity should be there to provide "extras" not essentials. That should be provided by the state because it is the responsibility of all of us, as a civilised society to provide for those who cannot do so themselves.

Yet hundreds of thousands of 'comfortable' pensioners get a winter fuel allowance.

Are we accidentally making things worse for some people? Should we re-aim ourselves, and demand funding from local government?

I think that you're right in that by stopping people from starving to death in the street then you've prevented some headlines being written, and prevented some issues being discussed. - but I don't think that means people working in food banks have made things worse, (either accidentally or deliberately)

Of course that does not mean that you should let people starve to prove a point.

However.
Taking the pressure off of government to provide adequate money for poorer people (i.e just make them less poor) with the idea that if the government helped provided food then there wouldn't be a problem starts to get weirdly close to the idea that benefits should be paid in food vouchers.

Except without the expense of voucher printing and without the choice of a shop.

If most people end up at food banks due to delays, unfair sanctions and mistakes in benefits, wouldn't it be best focussing on stopping things like that happening and putting official provision in place to deal with it quickly if a mistake or delay does happen?

Eg if your expected benefits don't turn up on the day you expected them to, you can get a percentage right there in cash just by walking into any post office or Job Centre or other suitable location?

OK, some people will not be able be get to these places, but you can't plan for every eventuality, someone will always fall outside the system, but it would reduce numbers who need food banks.

Offer help with checking gas and electric tariffs to make sure they are on the cheapest one. Despite all the concerns about people paying over the odds for fuel, less than half of the population has ever switched and these days you have to switch more or less every year to stay ahead of the game and even on pre-pay, you can reduce costs by doing this.

I think the problem is, if they rush benefit claims through then make a mistake due to whatever reason people end up with £££ of overpayments they need to pay back.

Not that it makes it ok to leave people in the situations they're currently being left in.
Benefits need to be made simpler and clearer, the amount of trouble I had in the past with providing the correct documents and paperwork and then filling everything in so it was up to standard, then getting it to the right place etc.
I wonder if there could be someone in ever local hv office, Dr surgery, post office, council office etc (places that are accessible) to sit and fill in the paperwork or do it online for people that struggle.

(Speaks the voice of bitter experience )

Maybe a focus on getting electric/gas companies to change the way things are done? Push for lower rates on meters, for example.

And push for a change in the winter fuel payment - or better yet, have them actually get it earlier in the year, like in mid November or beginning of December, when the weather is generally getting unbearably cold, so that people have a head start on topping up their meters.

We're entering an election year, are we not? MNHQ can push for political leaders (or higher mucky mucks) to come on - they usually do anyway - or whoever is in charge of energy issues (yeah, not politically as aware as I should be) and get the ball rolling. It may not benefit a huge amount THIS year, but maybe it can make a difference for next year.

I think people are right though, that we need to be pushing for these things to be done.

And a massive push to change the sanctions set up. It's inhumane IMO.

Sorry, yes, do the energy companies really need to charge a higher rate to prepayment customers? What is the percentage of prepay customers? They get their money in advance, so why charge more?

As a direct debit customer, I would be happy to pay slightly more so that everyone is paying the same rate, rather than people who are forced to pay in advance, usually because they are poor, having to pay the most.

But it is probably the case that the prepay problem is made worse because you have to pay more in winter because you use more due to it being cold?

Would some kind of budgeting account work? So you start in say, April and pay your estimated amount a month averaged over the year so you pay more than you need to over the summer, but dont have to find a lot more in winter?

I top up extra in advance, so add on some to my meter in the summer so I start ahead in the winter. But so many just don't have the extra money to do so, I suppose.

We're entering an election year, are we not? MNHQ can push for political leaders (or higher mucky mucks) to come on

The labour party have said that they will speak to 4 million people before the election. the torys will likely speak to the same amount, UKIP, the greens and Lib Dems will continue the trend.

Perhaps everyone should just keep at the back of their mind the phrase, "it's sickening that the poorest in society need to rely on the charity of others just to eat..."

I think that even people who liked the big hurrah of some sort of rose tinted war time esc looking after your neighbours big society never really thought it's actually mean sharing your dinner.