To wonder what will happen to food banks when

[dottypotter]

Nobody has anything left to donate because they are all feeling the squeeze themselves.

It's tight for everyone and as they only rely on donations what would happen?

Good lord .you don't have a clue where are these extra shifts what if there is no contributing parent what if one parent is sick unable too work etc etc etc. What you are saying is people are not to be parent unless they are financially secure and In employment and are able to pick up extra shifts ! That really says a lot

I'm still donating as we're doing ok but still feeling the squeeze, so go for stores own budget brands now and just donate necessities such as cereal and tins rather than biscuits, snacks etc. Its probably only £5 per week but I can get 2 boxes of cereal and a few tins of beans and soup (Aldi).

Dear God, where to start with this?

No, a pay freeze does not lead to inflation, that’s a ridiculous claim.

Public sector wages had risen far too high under Labour so of course needed to be frozen while wages elsewhere caught up.

You need to start taking some responsibility for your own situation.

Have you not noticed the huge skills shortage and shortage of workers in the UK? And yes, of course both parents need to contribute. The idea that one parent can sean off and not support their children is not acceptable.

And yes, of course people should not have children unless they are financially secure first and in a stable relationship. The idea that you should be able to have three children in your early twenties with three different men and that the state should just pick up the bill is ridiculous.

I didn't say that pay freezes led to inflation. The pay freezes have meant that many people now can't afford the basics on their wages because inflation is so high.

Tories: The party of the Economy? My arse.😂

The idea that one parent can sean off and not support their children is not acceptable

I agree with this part. Time to finally sort out the CMS, give it some proper fangs and go after non paying parents hard.

And yes, of course people should not have children unless they are financially secure first and in a stable relationship. The idea that you should be able to have three children in your early twenties with three different men and that the state should just pick up the bill is ridiculous.

This is the usual massive Tory oversimplification of how real life works, and always in support of the idea that poor people are poor because they are feckless. In real life, many of us are one pay packet away from being on the edge - that's with two parents working. It's possible to do the right thing only for serious illness or accidents to throw a spanner in the works - I've seen this happen to several of my friends. Unless you're really wealthy, life is precarious. Are you saying that only very rich people should be allowed to have children, in an economy where the demographics are already looking horrific?

The state will only pay for two children. The Tory party's lack of detail and regard for facts has obviously trickled down to their supporters

The local food bank has a van to collect stuff etc
Where does the money come from for the van and petrol just curious?

Donations. Some people give money instead/as well as food. Perhaps the van owner is a volunteer.

Really? We’ve had poverty in the past eg the 60s and 70s and no food banks and people weren’t dying of starvation in the U.K. How did people manage to get food then?
People may not have died but they suffered greatly and had very little to eat. I’m old enough to remember the miners strikes - miners families had no food and it was up to neighbours who didn’t work as miners to feed them. My family had a shop and we gave food to miners, not via a food bank but directly to the families. So there have always been people relying on charity even though it didn’t come via an organised food bank.

The local food bank has a van to collect stuff etc
Where does the money come from for the van and petrol just curious?

we have a van - we applied for and received a government grant for it, under the guise of waste reduction. Petrol is c.£20 a week, to collect £7/800 in donations a time…

Ok.

Food banks are usually charities and have funding for this type of thing. A local food bank near me have pick up points where people can pick up their items they are not allowed into the warehouse.

Already in a deprived area where the poor are supporting the poor. God knows what'll happen in our area now. I'll continue my support but was wondering about longer term impact too. Very worrying 😟

Their vans are sponsored by a car showroom who I'd imagine be able to write off as a charitable donation.

It is not Rishi Sunak’s fault that you don’t earn very much money
It is the government’s fault that they haven’t banned zero hour contracts with no maternity leave though. And they haven’t banned false self employment where companies claim their staff are self employed in order to avoid paying pension and sick pay. Also their fault that they haven’t increased the tax free allowance to help the poorest, or allowed people to give their tax free allowance to a spouse. The fact is, if the government permits employers to not offer proper jobs with full benefits then employers will do that, and for some poor people that’s the only job available to them.

Really? We’ve had poverty in the past eg the 60s and 70s and no food banks and people weren’t dying of starvation in the U.K. How did people manage to get food then?
The entire benefits system has changed, and so has the workplace. I know people who say they used to be able to leave a job they disliked in the morning and find another in the afternoon.
More employers used to pay cash, and pay weekly. It was more common to be able to get a cash advance against your pay, and repay it over several months.
There were more cash in hand jobs for women to earn 'pin money'.
More workplaces had a canteen and luncheon vouchers, and some places even had a creche on site.
Childcare rules were different; my Mum once organised a summer play scheme for working mothers in a local church hall and it was so popular the vicar ran it every year.
People used to be able to apply to the dole for grants to tide them over, or for emergencies and grants didn't have to be repaid.

Its no use moaning about the UK losing its work ethic if at the same time you are ignoring the fact that a work ethic used to be possible because the entire system was built to facilitate it. That system has been dismantled.
Don't sneer at people who don't spend their money the way you think they should - ask yourself what changed.

Whilst I know most using food banks can budget and meal plan, some still can't. I really wish budgeting and meal planning were covered in the National Curriculum in school so all children had a basic grounding in these important skills. I saw an article last week complaining children who can get free school meals would only be getting, ok in think it was £1.65 per day. Actually it is easily possible to feed a child lunch on that.
A jacket potato with cheese and yogurt - 90p
Toasted beans and ham sandwich and an apple - £1.20
2 slices of Beans on toast - and a banana - £1
Shepherd's pie could do 2 lunches - £3.00
Cheese toastie and a nectarine- £1.20
Mozzarella and tomato pasta bake could do 2 days - £3.00

I can make lentil and tomato soup for 4 people served with crusty bread for £2.50

Some people either don't have the kitchen equipment or skills to plan cheap nourishing meals. I just wish all parents could access these meals. I felt so sad when as a teacher I heard children saying they rarely got a hot meal at home.

I will continue to add £5 to my Morrisons shop. I let them decide what they need.

Sometimes people don't have the emotional energy to meal plan or organise "proper" dinners I think people should donate or not because its not up to us to judge what people eat.

We did not have food banks because the benefits system and Social services had emergency budgets they could pay out of to people who literally had no food in their cupboards. They also did not have long wait times to get benefits and you did not have your benefits sanctioned.

All these changes started happening between 10 -15 years ago and food banks started increasing in number around 10 -15 years ago

Its not rocket science.

This has been a direct decision by Government to decide not to meet emergency needs anymore. So it is now met by charities.

The very people voted in to run this country actually made a definitive decision to allow some people, including children, to go hungry.

Food banks are allowing the Govt to justify benefit cuts, look at the MPs who celebrate when they open one....

R4 yesterday reported that in the last 12months, the bottom 10% have seen a real terms cut of 6% in income, whereas the top 1% have seen above inflation increases.

Didn't Rees Mogg say food banks were a UK success story?

But they are also needed atm.

I just wish we had a Govt that saw them as a failure of the state, rather than a success.

@caringcarer Would these meal prices inc the electricity used, prices from corner shops rather than out of town supermarkets and the cost of buying and running fridges, utensils, freezer, containers.

i agree that basic budgeting and cookery should be in the NC but as someone once pointed out to me, many people struggling cannot read and have very limited ideas on food etc.
i mean how many would know about Lentils? or know how to make a pie? or the importance of fruit n veg in a balanced diet?

The tories think food banks are a great idea !

Our local conservative MP was very happy to celebrate the opening of another new foodbank not too long ago

Not sure I’d be too happy that my constituents were living in poverty and relying on food banks to survive, but each to their own I suppose

Honestly there are a lot of people with money to burn. Hopefully they will step up. If my fb page is anything to go by people are constantly spending. One woman is on her fourth holiday to lanzarote since Christmas, one is just constantly out for meals, teenagers seem to have huge birthday parties with balloon arches and amazing food and drink. We don't live in an affluent area but I am honestly shocked at how much money people seem to be throwing around. I guess you don't see the the ones that are struggling as they won't post that, but the people I do know do not seem to be struggling. Lets hope those not struggling are able to keep donating.