AIBU? food bank cheeky fucker?

[Zoofiller]

Before I get my ass handed to me.....

Disclaimer: I believe strongly in food banks, my job relies on their excellent work, I donate occasionally and recognise that all people from all walks of life can get caught out with unexpected bills/Enough money to make ends meet.

It may be affecting my judgement as I work with homeless people who have absolutely nothing.

I have an acquaintance who is well know for being beyond tight. Eg. Down the curry house will order & pay for £4 veg dish only, eat everyone else’s food and refuse to split costs. She has been challenged on this.

She claims constant poverty (which we all used to give sympathy to), all whilst seemingly going on a weekend away every couple of months, eating out weekly, a luxury holiday this year, home renovations, concerts and recently drinks and Christmas shopping in a big city. (FB tags)

However, she has stated that she has a system to work the food bank. In this area you can claim 3 times a year. So she has stated that she is rotating between different children’s centres and the school to keep getting food vouchers.

I have distanced myself and am trying to ignore but.....

Am I being unreasonable to be irked about her using the food bank in this manner?

Tesco had food bank volunteers today for Christmas shopping. It’s people like her that will put people off donating.

No shame!! It just makes me sad.

Please report her for sake of others

YANBU

She sounds like a cunt.

Every time she takes from the foodbank, she's depriving someone who is in genuine need.

I'd be having strong words with her.

(Alternatively, grass her up)

Yes she sounds awful, but she's NOT depriving someone in genuine need. People aren't being sent away with nothing because she got there first.

The only person she's depriving of anything is herself of self-respect - and I hope she finds it again soon.

Dame, she might well be depriving others. The foodbank that I run has had to close before because of lack of food. And the main food bank distribution centre in the area has had to stop sending efb's out to its satellites several times, recently, because stocks have been so low.

That is disgusting. I occasionally donate and I'm a far worse financial situation than her.
The food is for people who genuinely need it!

There will always be people who take advantage of “free”.

My experience is that food banks are not usually misused in this way though. They are a lifeline for some people and I will continue to donate to them. As far as I am concerned the occasional cheeky fucker is worth feeding if it stops the vast majority of genuine users from going hungry.

I feel like there must be more to this than meets the eye... The food bank parcels are basics like others have said and not actually of such high value that there would be much point in someone who has money for home renovations and luxury holidays to go to the effort of going to food banks and cheating the system.

I agree with you vicaat.

Much more likely that the person is overspending elsewhere and then coming a cropper several times a year.

But she won't boast about that. Nor will she admit that "actually I've overspent so much we've had to go to a food bank."

Some people are crap with money

Not all food banks only stock the basics. I run a local food pantry and and we provide dry produce as well as chilled goods, fresh fruit and veg, cleaning materials sanitary wear etc. It’s not uncommon for some people to abuse the system tbh.

Food banks do run out. Not all are run by the Trussell Trust or have relationships with larger organisations or supermarkets, the two in my town are run by churches.

I can't work out this person's motivation, she's putting so much time and effort into playing the system, the "reward" doesn't seem worth it. Unless her reward is knowing that she's "won", even if the prize is pretty shit.

I'd have it out with her. And if she's going to carry on, I'd make sure everyone knows. That's not normally my style, but she's no better than someone stealing from a vulnerable person.

3 times a year isn't much. Also I'm afraid there's nothing much you can do. if she gets the referral, its not really anyone's business how and why.

@fishcanfly I understood it that there are several food banks in the area and she goes to each 3 times.

I understood it that there are several food banks in the area and she goes to each 3 times.
Thing is - referring bodies - such as doctors, or jobcentre or citizens advice - they don't keep track of each person or each foodbank. It's really impossible to monitor.

Sadly it seems this is all too common. I know someone very similar. Owns the latest in IT, all the Sky TV channels, regularly at the pub, 3 week holiday...but anything for free she will take. In fact she will tell everyone who’ll listen how disgusting it is that she’s been reduced to using such benefits.
She’s family, and we’re civil, but we do not bother with her anymore.

Yes I don’t think it’s necessarily the food bank (although that isnt right if it’s unneeded), it’s the general anything that is free, grabbiness that is hard to tolerate.

I am a single mum and have lots of single mum friends (she isn’t if this matters). They are all generous without money coming in to it. Whether that be with time or caring attitude.

She attended a free meal offered by the church (fine) but moaned about quality and the fact it was cold, stated that they would have turned a profit (how?) and moaned about the fact she had to sit by a homeless person that smelled.

I suggested that she volunteer to support them - she wasn’t pleased

if circumstances change use a food bank a few times but quite frankly I doubt anyone continually needs to. Bar making crap choices.

Thanks for the pearls of wisdom there @Kittygirl47.
I'm sure the 4 million UK children living in food poverty are grateful for your compassion & searing intellectual insight.

I'm sorry to hear that Less stressed - I guess our local food bank is 'lucky' to be well supported :-(

I volunteer at a community project attached to our local food bank and what this woman is doing is despicable.

She sounds an absolute cunt to be frank if she’s so desperate to con desperate people out of a packet of dried pasta a couple of tins and a loose toilet roll!

I would report her! Not sure who to - maybe the food bank organisation - with her photo and pictures from her Facebook ...

Your 'friend's behaviour disgusts me.
I wouldn't have anything more to do with her if it were me

YANBU and was someone who contributes to a local foodbank I too am disgusted someone does this.

This is why I don't donate to my foodbank anymore. Very few are genuine but a heck of a lot of them just abuse it. I now donate food to the animal rescue bin in Tesco.

If it is Trussel Trust foodbanks she is using, they have a database that shows how many she has had, despite where she gets them from. I issue them as part of my job, and I can see as soon as I input someone's details how many they have had and who issued them.