To ask how long you think food banks should support people for?

[tartanbaker]

I help to run an independent food bank, & we currently support over 100 families. We are nearing our capacity (in terms of numbers we can help) due to limited storage etc, but there are new people applying all the time. We give people food every week, and some families have been registered with us for about 2 years now. They are still needy, and we all know that things are going to continue being tough for the foreseeable future, so my question is…if you were to donate to a food bank, how would you want them to use your food/money? Continuing to help everyone for as long as they ask for help, even though it might mean turning others away? Or telling existing families who rely on you that you can’t help them any more because you are going to help new people now? It’s so hard, and an ongoing debate we are having, and I’d be really interested to hear other people’s opinions. Both options seem really tough….

At the food bank I help run we give 4 weeks of parcels and then they have to be re-referred by the CAB, job centre etc. Any longer than that and you risk creating a dependency.

Ah didn’t quote a post. But no idea how you make this decision.

I'd prefer that the food banks operated as most do, with vouchers issued by agencies working with vulnerable people. This then forms part of a fuller program of support, to meet their short term crisis needs, but also try to build their resilience and improve their outlook for the future, for example, by making sure they were receiving their full benefits entitlements. Obviously within this, there is some contingency for walk ins, but its good practice for the fb to signpost those people to additional sources of support as well. If your foodbank doesn't work with partners in this way, it might be something to suggest.

Oh my that is one of the worst decisions ever. I have no idea how you would even begin to decide what to do for the best.
How depressing for some families though that 2 years later they STILL need food banks.

It’s so incredibly hard, isn’t it? I wish we could help everyone, but we just can’t…

But the situation has now changed for the worse. This 'reliance' is what some people have no choice about. What else can they do? Where I live there's an official food bank, but there's also an unofficial one in the village which consists of a tool bin full of tins. People can come and take whatever they need from it. I dropped by to put some tins in it the other day and it was almost empty. I think there were two tins of tomatoes and a tin of beans in it. It's horrifying to think that if those had gone, there would be people without anything at all.

I've worked for various charities and when families were referred for hardship payments or food bank vouchers we could not do more than three in a twelve month period. This was to stop a reliance building up, obviously at the same time help would be given with regards to ensuring all relevant benefits were in place etc.

while I understand this approach I don’t agree with it wrt a lot of the people we’re serving (as I said above I’m in the same circumstances as the OP) - pensioners who are short every week because of heating/gas bills for example, or families who can’t afford a decent weekly shop because of high rents even if the adult/s is in work. Debt is another biggie. For these people I think the safety net of readily available, nutritious food is a good thing. A much better thing would be government-level thinking to address the underlying issues, but (understatement of the year) it is acutely lacking.

Sorry, saw your additional posts. You do this already.

Newly needy come first I think. They will have throught longer and harder about seeking help. Please don't turn them away.

It’s meant to be for emergencies not a lifestyle choice.

Can you expand on this with official/reputable figures or links please, I remember benefits being labelled as a lifestyle choice during the striver/skiver propaganda drive during austerity

But this is what the government WANTS, you know! If they didn't want this, it wouldn't be happening.

You are neither being reasonable nor unreasonable. People need to eat, whether they are existing clients or new ones. Food banks are supposed to be about meeting short term needs rather than creating ling term dependencies, but if people have nowhere else to go, what are you supposed to do? Leave them to starve? And what about the new clients? How are they going to eat if all of the existing foodbanks are already at capacity simply to meet the needs of existing clients.

The foodbanks are not responsible for this situation, nor can they provide a proper solution. It is the government which is utterly unreasonable because it is not doing anything like enough to address the underlying causes of food poverty. And the situation is only going to get much, much worse.

Oh, we haven’t turned anyone away yet, we are just nearing the point of having to decide. Part of the decision is that we want to do the right thing for the clients, ie help them to be as independent as possible whilst at the same time letting them know that there is someone who cares and who won’t let them down…

If pensioners can't afford bills its usually because they're not getting all their entitlements. If people can't afford food because they are servicing debt, they need their debts rescheduled. I agree with you, the government has greater responsibility, but in the meantime, its better to help them to address the cause of their hardship with what is available, support them to apply for benefits, reduce debt repayments. Sew up the wound if you like, rather than continually putting a plaster on. Most FB will reissue if the client is getting support with the cause of their food poverty.

How very helpful

JayAlfredPrufrock

Sorry, did you meant to use the term ‘lifestyle choice’? If so then I think it needs pointing out that you should be nowhere near vulnerable families. Do you really think anyone sits there and says, ‘I fancy a change of lifestyle. I fancy queuing to get food that I haven’t chosen so that I can eat food that I might not like. I was going to take up rowing but this just seems more ‘me’’?

if not, then please reconsider your wording.

I've been receiving Food Bank support for six months now after being forced onto Universal Credit. My Work Capability Assessment is still pending (I should be under the top bracket of being too unwell to look for work) without the FB I would be unable to eat most days. Before anyone has a go at my being on internet - I have a £10 pm mobile contract (essential as DWP can call anytime) and a household internet subsidised by my Sheltered Housing Association.

I'm uncomfortable with the talk of creating a reliance or dependancy.

I mean, there are people who have literally zero other options? They are not falling into a comfortable reliance through choices they are making. They just have no way out.

And things are on course to simply get worse, both on an individual level and on a wider scale.

As long as people need it.

I've increased the amount I give to a local food bank because I'm very aware of how much my clients struggle. When people don't get enough to pay their essential bills, the rent top-up that most on private rents have to pay, and feed their families, the need won't go away.

And it's not food banks that are creating this "dependency", it's years of "austerity". I can't recall a single food bank pre-2010.

Sorry, not a reply to you as such, but just to say we send a weekly list to our clients so that they can choose what we pack for them. It felt really important to us to give people that choice so as to leave them with as much control and dignity as we could

Food banks in the UK in 2022. Disgusting.

I disagree with the 3 parcels a year thing, but I’d put the newly needy first. I think feeding the same families on a weekly basis for 2 years is unnecessary. I know people can be in all sorts of dire circumstances, not to the point where they’re unable to feed themselves for years though. There’s benefits for everyone who can’t work, top ups and help for low earners, if you’re paying off debt there’s only a certain amount they’re allowed to take, they legally have to leave you with enough to live on. If your moneys going on drugs/alcohol/gambling which is leaving you short, then at some point you need to take responsibility and sort yourself out. The only circumstances I can think of where people may get genuinely stuck, are elderly people who are unable to work and are unable to improve their circumstances

I voted YANBU - food banks should be for short term help. Our local food bank (I do referrals through my job) used to do up to 6 week parcels but have reduced it to 3 week parcels due to the demand. We do re-refer if there is good reason but any longer than that, we try to delve deeper to find out what the issues actually are. More often than not, it’s either people in properties with more bedrooms than they need so are affected by the bedroom tax or they have non dependents at home who are not contributing. Some people aren’t willing to make the changes that are needed but I do understand it can be difficult.

I think this is your answer