Page 4 | Should I donate my £400 to the foodbank

Heathofhares · 2022-05-30T15:07:55+00:00

I’m surprised to discover that we will be getting the fuel allowance. It seems madness when we can afford our bills without help. What are other people in this situation doing ? I am thinking I should maybe donate it to the foodbank or similar. WWYD

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 31/05/2022 06:25

Yes please donate it to the food bank. We are desperately short of donations and having to buy basics now to cover the demand.

Sweettruelies · 31/05/2022 07:28

People here saying they will donate it or it will make their own life easier - you realise energy bills were set to rise in October by £800 for the average household? This £400 will go straight to your energy provider to offset that. So your bills will still rise by £400 pa. So you will be worse off but we are all to be grateful that it could have been worse, apparently

NippyWoowoo · 31/05/2022 07:57

How can it be virtue signalling on an anymous board where no-one knows who OP is?

Because it's a public announcement, has nothing to do with knowing the people you are pontificating to

LauraNicolaides · 31/05/2022 08:06

At a tangent, I’m genuinely shocked that second home owners are getting two lots.

How would you suggest the government avoids giving second-home owners two lots? It would be virtually impossible.

MaverickSnoopy · 31/05/2022 08:12

That's a lovely idea. I would urge you to check you're sure you can afford it. I'm seeing lots of people surprised at the forthcoming increases and unaware how much prices are going up by (42% on current variable in Oct and an estimated 30% in January). It would be awful to donate and then struggle.

Nanasueathome · 31/05/2022 08:20

BadNomad · 30/05/2022 18:14

I do wonder how many people actually think the government is depositing the £400 in their personal bank accounts.
You'll never actually see that money. The government are just giving money to the energy providers so they don't have to pressure them to lower their prices. It has nothing to do with you. You'll just see temporarily lower bills as a result of them doing business. Politics, ya know?
So, if you donate £400 to charity, that is your own money you're donating. Not the "free" £400.

Yes, my understanding is that it will be credited directly to your energy account.
The money will not be paid directly to you as was the case with the council tax rebate.

Sharrowgirl · 31/05/2022 08:26

LauraNicolaides · 31/05/2022 08:06

At a tangent, I’m genuinely shocked that second home owners are getting two lots.

How would you suggest the government avoids giving second-home owners two lots? It would be virtually impossible.

Yep. Imagine trying to set up a system to do that. For what is a small proportion of people anyway.

Iwantmyoldnameback · 31/05/2022 08:28

I'm waiting to see how much my fuel prices go up before I make a decision, I don't need it at the moment but who knows? And before you all hate on me I donate to food banks and help out my adult kids.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 31/05/2022 08:30

Oh you are so wonderful and thoughtful and bountiful!

Do as you please, there is no need to announce it to the world.

pattish · 31/05/2022 08:37

I would donate it to someone I know who is struggling. That’s me - and I would love it if one of my better off friends passed it on!

Ponoka7 · 31/05/2022 08:39

Your thread might make other people do the same. I've heard people not bother claiming benefits that they were entitled to, but didn't need. I always thought that I would and pick a charity to give them to. Have a look if your local park has a 'friends of' and if they put activities on for children, they are also very much needed charities.

Xiaoxiong · 31/05/2022 08:42

Make sure you claim gift aid on it too so the food bank gets £500!

Cloud16 · 31/05/2022 08:46

I'm going to save it in case things get worse.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 31/05/2022 08:48

BanjoKnockers · 30/05/2022 18:58

We thought we'd make it up to £1,000, which seems only fair, then DH is going to spend a week volunteering in a soup kitchen and I'm donating a kidney to someone in need xoxox

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Just the one kidney?

kittensinthekitchen · 31/05/2022 08:50

BanjoKnockers · 30/05/2022 18:58

We thought we'd make it up to £1,000, which seems only fair, then DH is going to spend a week volunteering in a soup kitchen and I'm donating a kidney to someone in need xoxox

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I was just going to sell my children, use the money to buy a few rolls of zip-lock bags, then donate myself to the food bank.

BarbaraofSeville · 31/05/2022 08:52

Ponoka7 · 31/05/2022 08:39

Your thread might make other people do the same. I've heard people not bother claiming benefits that they were entitled to, but didn't need. I always thought that I would and pick a charity to give them to. Have a look if your local park has a 'friends of' and if they put activities on for children, they are also very much needed charities.

Exactly. I didn't know about National Energy Action until I read about it on here and talking about making donations on forums and social media might encourage others to donate, and also raise awareness amongst people who do need help with the rising cost of living.

Lots of people are struggling on very low incomes or are getting into debt to pay the bills and quite often they haven't applied for all the help they are entitled to. As well as food banks, which more people probably know about, you can get grants towards your energy costs if you are in fuel poverty. These can come from the energy providers themselves or from NEA, local council etc. But you have to apply, and many might not know about the help, which is why its important to talk about these things, so more people know that there might be help available.

TuTuLemon · 31/05/2022 08:54

I also didn't know about National Energy Action so glad OP started this thread

Moithered · 31/05/2022 09:04

What is your AIBU here?

If you are asking AIBU to put your unnecessary money into a foodbank, then of course you aren't, and that's a stupid question

If you are asking AIBU for virtue signalling your intentions rather than just donating quietly and anonymously without the 'big-up' and 'oh, how lovely of you' from fellow MN users,then yes you are

dadadeedadada · 31/05/2022 09:33

I'm sure I heard a lady on the radio saying she was donating hers to a fuel bank, I had no idea this was a thing to be honest. If you don't need it perhaps you could donate to them.

axolotlfloof · 31/05/2022 10:07

TuTuLemon · 30/05/2022 16:19

Yes I should have worded my reply better, this is what I am going to try to do. At the minute I can't reduce our DD below £89 but hopefully that will change once we get to October!

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These things are usually set up to make it a massive hassle to reduce your DD.
It's often not easy administratively at all.

Maggiethecat · 31/05/2022 10:21

BarbaraofSeville · 31/05/2022 08:52

Exactly. I didn't know about National Energy Action until I read about it on here and talking about making donations on forums and social media might encourage others to donate, and also raise awareness amongst people who do need help with the rising cost of living.

Lots of people are struggling on very low incomes or are getting into debt to pay the bills and quite often they haven't applied for all the help they are entitled to. As well as food banks, which more people probably know about, you can get grants towards your energy costs if you are in fuel poverty. These can come from the energy providers themselves or from NEA, local council etc. But you have to apply, and many might not know about the help, which is why its important to talk about these things, so more people know that there might be help available.

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This.

Very constructive contribution as usual @BarbaraofSeville

madasawethen · 31/05/2022 10:45

Yes, I always do this with any gov cash splurge.

Food bank.

NotEnoughTime · 31/05/2022 11:59

www.care-international.org/

is an amazing charity if anyone has any 'spare' cash