To not understand the benefit system . What is going on ?

[Westnsouthnabout]

I have got totally out of touch with the benefits system.. used to work in public services so did used to be in direct contact with a variety of social issues.
Am aware that sudden breakages like washing machines to be paid for, delays in initial payment and sanctioning can mean a sudden and catastrophic change in cash flow.
However, I have been reading that food banks are utterly stretched and in crisis.
I do understand that many people end up in emeegency sitiations, however, have also been reading that some are actually reliant on regular food banks . Sort of like a weekly shop..
I totally accept that I am out of touch with current situations and would like to kmow( seperate to current rising cost of living etc which i know about) .. what is going on re why so many people are relying on them as a regular source of food when they are in reciept of a regular and mostly preductable income( apart from sanctions etc as i said) in the form of benefits.
I am aware I am ignorant amd want to understand more and perhaps contribute.

In my experience as someone who can issue food bank vouchers at work. People prioritise other things knowing they can get free food. Some tell me they are hungover and in the next breath ask for antihero food bank voucher.

Not had time to rtft but
Broken washing machines etc. - ask your work coach for a budgeting advance. It will be a much better option than expensive credit if you can get it.
Affected by the benefit cap or bedroom tax? - you may be able to get a DHP (discretionary housing payment) from your council if you get the housing element of UC or if you get housing benefit.

I claimed UC for being Unemployed in 2019.
The amount was £940

I got a job after 6 months, in December 2019. I did minimum wage. Had to pay childcare at £100 a week, council tax doubled, transport costs to travel 30 minutes morning and night.
For the first 8 weeks I paid more out than I actually earned and ended up worse off for working by about £50 or so.
For December I had to pay childcare, £400... Bearing in mind I hadn't got wages yet to cover it and had been reliant on UC so had pretty much zero in the bank, but I scratched it up and paid it. I claimed it back from UC and eventually got £320 in February.. (I had to also pay.januarys child care and claim that back and got.80% or so back)

With all that going on, I ended up very very very broke and asked.for.help.from my.job coach. She said I had a job, didn't need a voucher. I tried to explain I had to work a month before I got paid anything, she didn't understand. Had to take a loan instead, which I paid back at £25 a month.

February, march April... Then Covid hit.
My company closed, I was sent home and was unemployed again. £200 first month.
Plus uplift of £80.. plus £800 wage.
Childcare to pay, rent, council tax, gas, electric, fuel, TV license.. etc. and now a loan repayment...

I ended up very very broke again.
This time I didn't need a voucher because of uplift and wage..

You should always be better off working, but sometimes working leaves you more broke than being unemployed. There's costs involved in working that are hard to budget for when you've been living on less than enough for months. Even now, it costs me over £600 a month to just go to work, 10 days out of 20 before I'm earning more than it cost. It's bonkers. If I had an unexpected cost, if my car broke, I'd be up shite road with neither paddle nor boat.

But I don't know if that's any kind of help or relation to what op wanted to know, I just went on a whingefest.. 🤣

@nosafeguardingadults

Many of us don't need drugs for treatment. We need less bad lives. My case is not being allowed a safe home and not having any support. My last bit of support is gone cos person left their job and although was promised smooth transition, not happened, been told not happening now cos they changing their system, so been left with safeguarding fails, places breaking the law and getting away with it, and left at risk of abuse and violence with nowhere to turn.

Don't need drugs just need safe life but would happily take assisted suicide instead if was allowed. Don't understand why government wants to say we are burden cost money but then left to rot suffering. If they don't want to spend to help us, is cruel leaving us to live torture life. Living in constant fear no way to live. Is cruel.

With domestic violence is cruel pretending is help. Is lies cos help depends on where you live and if you live in bad support area, you get no help. Takes so much to ask for help when so scared and ashamed and so destroys you if you do that then get places not give a shit and break safeguarding rules and tell you to just leave or call police with no support to do that or they have closed waiting lists so if you get killed or injured waiting, who cares.

Is in news about bad police so more frightening to do it without support but know not all bad cos had kind ones come out in past but can't do it alone with no support.

Then cos of postcode lottery if you beg out of area place for help, they put phone down on you when you say you out of area. You beg them to help despite out of area cos frightened not safe and desperate but they don't care.

Is really frightening cos the same places that hang up phone on you even if you at risk of being murdered, are where you go if refuge cos you go out of area.

You supposed to trust and put your life in the hands of people who made clear you are outsider and then you feel unwelcome and like you stealing place from local woman. Is horrible and then when your time in refuge is up, when support hasn't been given you have to go back then things million times worse and no trust left.

Is situations like that is why we end up being burden needing benefits cos of physical damage injuries and mental trauma. I can manage money but only can do that if have safe home and money to manage. Get it if people don't want to waste money on washed up victim but should let me have assisted suicide instead of forced to live torture life.

Sorry to hear this. Is support better funded in your home country? Is it an option to seek help there?

Support was better in refuge area like social services and mental health crisis team. Was problems cos was too far away and knew was stealing place from local woman. Support though was better like crisis team there they come out to you but in home area is sometimes voicemail and other times a nurse who doesn't give a shit saying what do you want me to do. Then social services in home area ignore referrals and don't give shit about domestic violence. Home area is no safe housing. Is some but only if you have advocate fighting to get it for you but getting advocate support very hard cos support very bad with some domestic violence charities not caring and telling you to just leave without offering you support and others having closed waiting lists and other ones not even letting you speak to someone for advice without waiting 6-8 weeks after calling their call centre.
Am accepting now though cos can't keep fighting. Too tiring. Am lucky have warm bed and own bathroom and kitchen and better off than lots of people. Some lives never ok is how life is. Mine better than some people's.