Foodbank usage

[Mrskeats]

Hard hat on.
First of all I regularly give to food banks; especially now when there is so much need.
Aibu to think that if you have about £2500 per month and very few bills for this one adult and one child you don't need to be using one? House bought outright also.
This is someone that know well. Very surprised they feel entitled to use them.

People give in good faith and people volunteer their time.

I don't attach strings to the gifts I give or my time if I chose to volunteer it.

In every system you will probably get a small number of people abusing it. It's not right if you are correct in what you say but perhaps it's better that way so it doesn't miss the genuinely needy.

I know someone who qualifies for FSM. I was surprised actually that she does but I don't know the ins and outs of her finances so I just accept it. I imagine she could manage without but if she is eligible why not claim?

I qualified a small amount of tax credits a while back. I could have lived without although times were tough. I claimed.

Just be thankful you don't need to go to a food bank and don't donate to that particular one.

We always put food into a food bank collection bin.
We are aware that there are some folk who flout the rules and can easily get a referral that might surprise some folk, but in the main, the food does go to the right people.

There will always be chancers.

I still give as I think most people don't abuse the system.

The referrals are online now. Not that many questions are asked. I know this as I do referals 🙈

My neighbour went from house to house with lots of food from fare share the other day. No referal needed. Which I think is a good thing. Not everyone will know to how to obtain one and can easily slip through

I donate to food banks and will continue to do so.

You probably do get the odd person that takes what they can despite not needing it, if they can get away with it. Every system that is meant to help has a few abusers that’s life 🤷🏻‍♀️

However that will be only the odd person and to me it’s worth still donating as must users will need the help

If someone is using a food bank I would think it self evident that they needed to, even if the reasons were not known to you or secret. I help run one as a volunteer and can think of more than one or two women whose husbands have a gambling or drug problem and are spending the family money on that leaving kids without food. Friends and family didn't know the issues.

Very sad back

Sounds like they might have MH issues. I can't see why else anyone would choose to use one when they don't need to. It would be humiliating. The dignity of choosing your own food taken away from you. I doubt it's the nicest or best quality food either.

Either she's lying to you about her true financial circumstances, which people do out of misplaced shame, or she's mentally ill and in need of help.

On a related note it never fails to surprise me just how many people know exactly the financial situations of others.

I volunteer weekly at a food bank. It isn't trussell trust so not everyone needs a referral. We are massively struggling to keep up with increased demand, as well as trying to deliver to those who can't come to us.

We would never turn someone away who was in need and we do our very best for every family that come to us. We do get cases of people misusing the system, selling items on, taking more than allowed or visiting lots of different food banks etc. On the whole though, the food reaches the right people so please continue to donate.

I don't think OP is unreasonable for disliking those who abuse the system, if that's what they're doing. There is only so much to go around.

So is this food bank thread the pandemic version of ‘my neighbour is on benefits and has a car, wears designer labels and takes x2 long haul holidays a year?

I was going to say the same as Witchend on P1.

"Usual" foodbank - yes, you need to be referred, and it is monitored.
"Current" Situation - there are masses of incredibly kind hearted people who have set up separate, independently run food banks to support people in different circumstances. Yes, they will include people who don't have enough money but they have set themselves to support people who can't get out to the shops. In fact, it has taken a lot of promotion work , ad the setting up of a donations page to persuade a lot of older, fiercely independent people, who aren't happy to accept charity, to register / phone up and ask for help. Some feel better at having food delivered if they can make a donation (for volunteers petrol etc).

'Foodbanks' in these strange times are being operated in different ways.

I dont know why anyone would use a food bank unless they have to tbh.

I recently needed to rely on our local food bank. I am incredibly grateful for their service but man was I glad when I could afford to do my own shop again. I don't think I've ever seen so many tins of beans and soup. Luckily ds2 loves beans on toast and would eat it for every meal if he could. He's also discovered a love of soup which has led to him asking for the ingredients to make his own.
I think if I'd had to do it much longer though I'd have gone slightly mad

OP I mean this kindly - mind your own business. I am sure people wouldn't go to a foodbank unless they really needed to. There might be something going on behind the scenes, including abuse - maybe someone is withholding food, maybe they are collecting supplies for someone else? I would just leave them to it.

Thank you during

We had a council delievry when I couldn't get out, it arrived the next day, no questions asked. We didn't like any of it though so it all went straight back into the food bank, wasn't wasted

It matters because it's taking food from someone who needs it. Is this hard to compute?

How do you 100% know they don’t need it unless you have seen bank statements, know there’s no loan?

Of course if someone doesn't need to use a foodbank they should not be using it. But no one knows someone's circumstances fully.

The church foodbank near me doesnt require a referral and you can go a few times before questions are asked. If people go to foodbanks without being in genuine need, that is plainly wrong. I suppose it must happen because some people cannot resist the idea of something for nothing, even if it leaves others going hungry. Selfish and immoral.

I completely agree op.
If that is the situation then it is disgraceful.

FGS. And what on earth has roasting stuff got to do with this?

Poor people are supposed to be satisfied with gruel.

More seriously, people,who are genuinely struggling may struggle to afford the fuel to actually do the roasting which suggests donors need to read up what their local food banks require,

I've worked with food banks for a number of years but the recent uplift in need from Covid-19 probably means I've personally seen and dealt with more people in need in the last 6 weeks than in the last decade combined.

What I can tell you is there we're seeing a number of business owners who on the face of things should be okay. They've got the BMW in the drive way, the detached and gated property etc. But suddenly they've found that their clients are not paying because they haven't been paid, they're finding that their suppliers are demanding immediate payment even where they'd previous been on 60 day accounts or longer. They're stuck between a rock and a hard place and unfortunately for a few days or weeks their only option has been to ask for help. Every one I've dealt with in that sort of ilk has been nothing but apologetic and genuine. They've been humbled by a set of circumstances even the very best continuity plan couldn't have planned for.

We've partnered with the local primary schools, every single home with a primary aged child on the school roll has received a fortnightly parcel from the food bank. That has been irrespective of their circumstances, it's been an across the board decision.

We've also co-ordinated delivery of supplies of products that have been difficult to obtain (the bread drought 6 weeks ago for example) where no amount of money could've got the product.

I've known at least 2 women who, to the outside world and even their families, would look very well off, but were actually being financially abused by controlling husbands and denied food/money for food for themselves and their children.
They both eventually got free with help from various charities including food banks when they had nothing.
Really not sure you can say for absolute certain they don't need it.

I really hope this post doesn't put anybody off donating. There will be a tiny minority who may take advantage but please, anyone reading this and having doubts, know that the vast majority goes to people who are really genuinely struggling and desperate. Please keep donating. The need is huge and growing. Don't let this post stop you helping them. 🙏