Food donations and government spending.

[Pixxie7]

I think the government should focus and address the reasons why we have so many people in this country who can’t afford to ear let alone healthily?

Absolutely.
It is brilliant the way so many groups and individuals, shops, restaurants, co-operatives etc have stepped up to support people with food parcels and support generally, particularly over the last few months, but, in truth for years and years and years, there are too many people in this country who are having to resort to being fed by volunteers and voluntary donations.
It is a massive problem, and something a country such as the UK should be thoroughly ashamed of.
I completely agree with you OP

Me too. I think it’s completely unacceptable that we’ve been getting deeper and deeper into this situation for years and only now is the government choosing to do something to address the situation. It’s just so awful.

I agree with you. Also, homelessness.

How many people in this country can't afford to eat?

Trussell Trust alone gave out 1 600 000 (yup, 1.6 million ) food parcels which are supposed to last 3 days per family / claimant in 2018 / 19
Of course, that is just one foodbank.
Doesn't include the thousands of small charities feeding people hot meals in Cities across the country.
Doesn't include all the independent Church and other groups that have food banks
Doesn't include all the schools that informally support families and feed the children at school
Doesn't include those that go hungry becuase they are too proud or they don't understand the systems or know how to get help

Yabu a bit. I think there is more to it than food, having been close to people in receipt of donations Im not sure that lack of money always stops them buying food, some have very chaotic lives, alcohol or drug dependence, long term unemployment etc.

Giving vouchers that can only be spent on food is by far the best option. Not saying that about all of course. Just a sad situation.

I would guess it's usually sanctions or waiting for benefit claims to be processed. That's my experience.

all BonfireStarte@ your right, however this would be part of the researchSurely.
feelingverylazytoday@ this is undoubtedly 1 cause, but so many?

all BonfireStarte@ again you make a valid point. So a lot of lay people can see some of the problems. All the more reason to address the issues head on.

all BonfireStarte@ giving vouchers for food is part of it but doesn’t help solve the problem, it is currently part and parcel of the problem. We need to be at a stage where people don’t have to rely on help to eat.

Pixxie that's what they assumed when I went there, that I'd been sanctioned (I hadn't), so I would guess it's quite common.
My local food bank is non referral, so you can basically go for any reason. I do know one person who takes the piss.

feelingverylazytoday @ Let’s be honest you are always going to get people who take advantage. They should be ashamed of themselves and if caught fined as this is penalised. Again part of the problem.

I don’t know. When I really couldn’t afford food, I couldn't afford booze, fags, my rent, bills... I was bring punished by the DWP for doing a uni course that actually resulted in me getting a job. But never mind, blame people’s personal choices, bonfire.

Sometimes it IS people’s choices.

Sometimes it’s lack of awareness about what financial assistance you can get. Especially when circumstances change. If people understood this prior they may make different choices. But they don’t get that option.

Sometimes it’s just being a victim of circumstances beyond your control.

There are so many reasons.

Whatever the answer is I hope something gets done to help people.

“There by the grace of God go i” as the saying goes (ie you never know when your luck or circumstances could change and you could be the next person in the queue for the food bank)...

@Elieza

Sometimes it IS people’s choices.

Sometimes it’s lack of awareness about what financial assistance you can get. Especially when circumstances change. If people understood this prior they may make different choices. But they don’t get that option.

Sometimes it’s just being a victim of circumstances beyond your control.

There are so many reasons.

Whatever the answer is I hope something gets done to help people.

“There by the grace of God go i” as the saying goes (ie you never know when your luck or circumstances could change and you could be the next person in the queue for the food bank)...

This.

@Alienin, don't blame DWP, they don't make the rules. That's the government of the day.

Having said that, I worked in Jobcentres from 1969 to 2009. During that time, the law stipulated that students, during term time, couldn't claim unemployment benefit/J SA

I had to get my councillor to argue with the DWP to get my £16 a week. They didn’t want to give me anything. Go on, tell me that as a single mother, I didn’t try hard enough, or look in the right places.