Government Recommends a further 2.69million English Families to be sent to food banks

[BeingAMumIsFun]

Reports on Friday stated an increasing number of British families going to Trussell Trust Foodbanks (they don't tell us the increase is because the Goverment is forcing job centre staff to hand out Trussell Trust food vouchers if benefit payments are late or people are refused a crisis loan)

But what mothers of England also are not being told is the government plans to abolish the DWP crisis loans

2.69 million English families got crisis loans in 2010 from the DWP (DWP official figure) in a time of crisis (the average loan was £83 which was all paid back)

The government is abolishing crisis loans and recommends English Councils send people to the Trussell Trust for a food parcel instead

www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-fund-localisation-call-for-evidence.pdf

So the shocking figure of 130,000 getting food parcels from the Trusell Trust, reported on Friday, will from next year rise to 2.96 million families (that means about 10 million men women and children to be fed from food parcels in England alone as a deliberate government policy change and recommendation

Crisis loans are for working families, not just those on benefit e.g. your child is in hospital, your home is flooded - any unexpected crisis -

Crisis loans cost the nation nothing - they are paid back

So why are the Liberals and Tories abolishing them and recommending councils can keep the money (to be transferred from the DWP) and send people to the Trussell Trust for food parcels instead

These crisis loans are used by many families to top up their pre pay gas and electricity metres in winter -as benefit and low pay just does not stretch to the high cost of power in winter.

Surely every mum has a right to know - before they cast their vote in council elections what each candidate plans

Will your councillors be sending mothers to foodbanks in a crisis - or will your councillor ensure a small short term crisis loan is still available to allow mothers to buy fresh milk, fresh bread, fresh vegetables and fresh meat locally (there is no fresh food in a food parcel and the food bank could be miles away)

Every mother in England needs to ask their council candidates what their plans are - food banks or the current short term small loan which is paid back to allow famiilies to keep their dignity and decide for themselves what they get to eat from local shops

These crisis loans cost us nothing - food banks - humiliating and degrading - every mother should have the ability to buy fresh food for her children when a short term crisis uses the family budget.

The government gets 25% of British earnings every single week (12% from the employee and 13% from the employer) - this is hundreds of billions

So why should working people - who the government asked to pay an extra 1% in National Insurance be denied the only benefit they may need to call on in a crisis - when 2.69 million English families use this every year this proves there is a vital need for this small loan system which works extremely well for everyone - including the tax payer

" In their place will be a combination of new locally-based provision that will replace Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for general living expenses and a new nationally administered advance of benefit facility that will replace alignment Crisis Loans and Budgeting Loans."

Replaced rather than abolished. I think you know you're scaremongering.

Government document - (from the link above) on the abolition of crisis loans and community care grants - their words not mine

"We do not expect local authorities to recreate Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans locally."

"There will therefore be no new statutory duty requiring local authorities to deliver the service"

"the funding will not be ring-fenced"

"Set out below are a few examples of local schemes and partnership working. Clients offered immediate access to such schemes through a local authority
referral mechanism might have their needs met more effectively than under the current system.

The Trussell Trust is a charitable organisation that provides emergency food to people in crisis. There are almost 90 foodbanks in the Trussell Trust network across the UK.
Jobcentre Plus has been working with the Trussell Trust to pilot closer signposting and checking of potential entitlement for help from the Trust?s foodbank. The pilots have been running in Gloucester, Wiltshire and Swindon District since January 2011.
We believe that local authorities could provide similar services through effective partnership working with other organisations to benefit those in crisis at a local level."

I wish it was scaremongering CogitoErgoSometimes but sadly the facts speak for themselves

I think mothers would prefer to decide what their children get to eat rather than a food parcel with no fresh food when an unexpected crisis uses up the family budget unexpectedly

"These crisis loans cost us nothing - food banks - humiliating and degrading - every mother should have the ability to buy fresh food for her children when a short term crisis uses the family budget. "

At least with a food bank it is known that money goes on food and not on ciggerettes and drugs.

I am not sure what you do about dignity. Applying for any kind of benefit or crisis loan is pretty humilating. The food bank in my town is linked to lots of other services as well. Lots of people can refer to a food bank and maybe its an easier way of meeting the needs of someone too ashamed to admit they need help.

My fear would be a local council having no crisis loan or a food bank.