To think that food banks who limit to three weeks are as mean spirited as Universal Credit?

[MammaTJ]

I have been reading on FB about someone struggling due to problems with universal credit. They say they have used their three food banks and an extra two they gave them!

When I had to have food bank boxes I got one a week until I told them I did not need them any more, I had them for around 8 months. I think three or five is mean and people in need are people in need until they no longer need it, ie, their circumstances change!

My change was actually getting PIP, which meant an extra £300 a month!

AIBU?

I used to volunteer at a food bank and we would give a family two measly bags of groceries per week (usually with only 6 or 7 items per bag). It wasn’t because we were being mean but we just didn’t have enough donations to feed the hundreds of people that would use the services every week. Supermarkets should be more proactive about donating items that aren’t selling or are close to going off. So much food gets wasted in this country when many could benefit from it

I fear the 'rise in use' of food banks is down to their ease and generosity.

This is ridiculous. as I said above my dear mother is a regular volunteers and she always describes just how ashamed all the claimants are to be in the position of having to accept this food. Many are openly in tears other go In and rush out in an effort not to be seen there. She says many have MH issues that have been made worst buy having to accept charity (it can't help depression can it) as it has made them feel useless.

You also cannot just walk in off the street and get food you have to be referred.

Also, sometimes the people claiming are actually OK In their lives they have a job house etc but there has been a sudden (but temporary) change. Sudden change in income, loss of benefits, illness in the family and they suddenly find that they cannot make ends meet that month. bare in mind that a lot of people at the moment are living close to the poverty line. They are doing OK but have no saving and no ability to make savings. so one thing going wrong can seriously derail things and they just need help for a short period. This is why food banks only give out a certain amount at a time. it is an emergency stop gap.

Similar to the old JSA payments, they expect you to check in every couple of weeks to ensure that your circumstances have not changed and you are no longer in need of the donation.

My sister is going through the universal credit process. She got the loan for the five week break but will have to pay that back. It has taken two months to get her physical sorted which she has to have even tho she had her PIP one just before the swap over. Apparently it can't transfer. To stop her being in dire need I have been giving her £100 a week out of my salary which has been ok but it can't go on. The emotional distress this has caused her as she hates asking for money, hates the fact that I have bought most of my niece's presents this year.(they will be wrapped and given from her not me)
Food banks should not be needed but sadly when there are people who play the system then they can justify making the system harsh and charities have to do what they can to meet the growth in need. It's a nightmare all round.

How is it mean? There are finite resources of these banks. Imagine there are only 100 parcels (hypothetically). One family could get a parcel every week for 100 weeks, or 25 families could get a parcel for 5 weeks.

OP, honest question, if you think it is mean, how would you determine who gets one of the parcels? They are limited in funding and resources, so everyone getting an unlimited parcel isn't an option. It isn't as if the food banks are throwing away good food. If its unlimited, how would you set the rules to be fair? How would you manage families that got nothing and never received anything?

If you want to change it, donate more to the food bank. Or more importantly, get involved in politics to get people who voted for UC out of office.

There should be no need for food banks in the first place.

Employers should pay their staff properly.

Then there should be a properly organised benefits system for those that cannot work and those that have lost work. We should all want a functioning benefits system, anybody can lose their job.

Exactly. We have a Government hell-bent on an ideological purge.

I fear the 'rise in use' of food banks is down to their ease and generosity.
I fear the rise in prejudice is due to people having no comprehension or empathy.

There is a need for those needing a referral, obtaining a small parcel and lots of signposting. But self referral? Unlimited parcels? No questions asked?
doesn't happen, but you know that, don't you.

NC. I don't use the local food bank, I'd be too embarrassed. My situation is this: I am on benefits. I'm nearing sixty and have a disability. Earlier this year I lost the mobility component of my PiP. I lost around £250.00 per month. The letter came as I was looking after dd and at the time I didn't know if she was going to make it through the night, let alone the week so didn't appeal. She did, but she's still poorly. Now too scared to appeal in case I lost the little extra I do get. In the meantime ds became very, very ill. He was in hospital for a while but has had to give up his flat and come home to live. He will be here for a significant amount of time. Unfortunately he is under a contractual obligation to pay his rent until a new flatmate is found. Because he is under the contractual obligation, he has to pay council tax as though he lived there, but cannot claim housing benefit, because he doesn't live there! Yes, this is true. So, the situation is: his benefits do not cover the rent, he is paying the rent, I am topping it up and and then my single benefits are supporting the two of us. Two adults on one persons benefits.
Kath et al. Don't judge unless you absolutely know what others are going through, you are being cruel by doing so.

I give regularly to my local foodbank and am happy to do so buy would consider stopping if I knew someone wa getting packages for months on end. It's an emergency/ crisis situation response not a short term fix

Foodbanks are not there to cover the arse of the pathetic an embarassing "benefit" system. If they were there for just those in poverty or on benefits then the numbers of service users would be astronomical.
The numbers are limited to those where the benefits have ballsed up (obviously that is so frequent the foodbanks struggle) and also where people's accounts are frozen or unexpected situations happen. Doctors, sometimes schools, charities, advocates for those with vunerabilities can distribute vouchers for foodbanks and for those prepared to do a lot of paperwork there are self referrals. But foodbanks are necessary because the benefit system is not fit for purpose.

It's not good enough. There should and there needs to be more longer term nutritional support for anyone relying on benefits as the benefits keep people in poverty.

In our town, the food bank is only a few years old, the churches had always helped out people in need they knew about, and after the rise in publicity about food banks, one in our town decided to set up a more formal food bank, the other churches supported it (both collection points in the churches and asking their congregations to volunteer), and referred their needy to it, rather than doing the informal food packages they'd done before.

It's only in the last 12 months that you need a referral from the GP/health visitor/social services etc to get help from them, due to people taking advantage. I don't think they have a set limit as many other food banks do.

I do hate that the government seem to be happy to leave this gap to be covered by informal volunteer organisations.

My local food bank has received enough donations of sanitary protection to open a shop this Christmas, judging by the photos on their FB page.

So the message about period poverty appears to be making some impact, at least.

I do hate that the government seem to be happy to leave this gap to be covered by informal volunteer organisations.

The thing is, we have a working food distribution system in place.

Why this wasteful shadow system?

People don't choose poverty, but sometimes the choices they make lead to it - although not intentionally.
I don't think you can criticise people for that.

'The thing is, we have a working food distribution system in place.

Why this wasteful shadow system?'

Which system is that? UC is leaving people who are already so poor they have no spare money without money for a month or more. How are they supposed to get food in that time, if not for foodbanks? They offer a loan, but then it has to be paid back over a year, leaving a poor person with even less money to buy food.

The periods of time when there is no system in place are -

• Applying for benefits - can take ages to get anything
• Sanctions, and people get sanctioned through no fault of their own
• Getting a job after being unemployed and waiting to get paid

These are not people's bad choices. Just they are poor and may not have any family who can or are willing to help out.

The periods of time when there is no system in place are -

• Applying for benefits - can take ages to get anything
• Sanctions, and people get sanctioned through no fault of their own
• Getting a job after being unemployed and waiting to get paid

These are not people's bad choices. Just they are poor and may not have any family who can or are willing to help out.

Can I ask you all to sign the change. Org petition on asking supermarkets to enable donation online?
I rarely shop other than online so it's actually quite an effort for me to donate.

Also lots of jobs pay no sick leave. Statutory sick pay is about £70 a week. If you get seriously ill for a bit, that can leave you in dire straits.

^^This. Charities have their place but it is not to fill the void left by either government or personal responsibility.

"Can I ask you all to sign the change. Org petition on asking supermarkets to enable donation online? "

Ocado already have this option so it's perfectly possible to do.

That's good to know, although I don't shop there, and I'm not likely to start.

Which system is that? UC is leaving people who are already so poor they have no spare money without money for a month or more. How are they supposed to get food in that time, if not for foodbanks? They offer a loan, but then it has to be paid back over a year, leaving a poor person with even less money to buy food.

We already have supermarkets and outlets of all sorts, including delivery.

We have a system set up to get money to people.

Why this wasteful donation, gathering, logistical foodbank system? The resources would go further if they went straight to the recipient.

'We already have supermarkets and outlets of all sorts, including delivery.

We have a system set up to get money to people.'

What is this system to get money to people? Transferring to UC means NO money for 5 weeks at the least. Nothing. To people who already have no money. How is the supermarket and outlet going to delivery food to people without any payment, especially as there are many, many places that have no Waitrose?