Food banks

turienzo's lovechild · Dec 16, 2014

GOM said:
Ah, I see perfectly now that you have explained it.

the fact that they a new thing doesn't mean they're not necessary...how did we survive before the internet, nhs, cars, schools, spoken communication, literacy, the ability to make fire, doctors, football, books, radio, cars etc.

this is something that is being set up by charities to help people....i can't believe people are critical of it

aolstudios · Dec 16, 2014

GOM said:
Simple, because there were less in need they managed without the food banks. Thanks

I didn't say they managed, I said there were less of them. Therefore the need (numbers wise) wasn't so great

GOM · Dec 16, 2014

aolstudios said:
I didn't say they managed, I said there were less of them. Therefore the need (numbers wise) wasn't so great

But the question was how did people manage before, you replied Simple, that there were less.

TWOCHOICEStom · Dec 16, 2014

Slightly OT, but of those who use food banks regularly, I'd be really interested to see how good they are at cooking.

After watching/reading a few videos online from Mr. Oliver and others lately, I've been pretty amazed how much further you can make food go if you really know what you're doing in the kitchen.

DavidinSouthampton · Dec 16, 2014

BigGully said:
That isnt as I understand it, anyone could start a food bank and then compose their own qualifying criteria, I suspect no food bank would not help/give food to a hungry person irrespective of their financial status.

Care professional and other agencies can refer anyone they feel might benefit from them, but with the increase of foodbanks there might be times when those that fulfill the qualifying criteria might access one, not necessarily due to critical need.

It offers a flawed analysis of why they exist.

Although there is a recent proliferation, foodbanks have been around quite a while - there's been one in Southampton for a good 20 years.

But in my experience, people have to be referred to them by a professional of some sort or an appropriate agency - CAB, local benefits advice charity or whatever.

And they are an emergency measure - they are not for people to go along and help themselves when they feel like it. Sometimes, when people go on benefits or have their payment changed, the new arrangement can take up to, say, 15 days to kick in. if people have no savings, they will not be able to eat. And if people on benefits are sanctioned and lose their benefits, perhaps on a temporary basis, they still have to eat.

I have oft heard it quoted that, for a normal working person, we are all potentially about three monthly pay cheques away from having to use a food bank. If you have the big car on the drive, and one of those giant Minis for the wife, and you lose the means to keep up the payments, it might look impressive still, but eventually they will be taken away.

BigGully · Dec 16, 2014

Herr Tubthumper said:
This is not really an adequate answer to my questions is it? If you want to win my mind then you will have to try a bit harder.

I think you are mistaken me for someone that feels he needs to win your mind to validate my view, no doubt a little tongue in cheek, but more like head up your arse !!

BigGully · Dec 16, 2014

DavidinSouthampton;671099I have oft heard it quoted that, for a normal working person, we are all potentially about three monthly pay cheques away from having to use a food bank. If you have the big car on the drive, and one of those giant Minis for the wife, and you lose the means to keep up the payments, it might look impressive still, but eventually they will be taken away.

How exactly does that work, what has repossession of leased goods got to do with hunger ?

hans kraay fan club · Dec 16, 2014

BigGully said:
it is an irrefutable fact of the benefit that 'non working single parent of two children' receives here in Brighton is a housing allowance of £190.00 per week and disposable weekly income of £220+ per week ( JSA £72.40 + Tax Credits £116.38 + Child Benefit £34.05 ).

I'm not sure how you define 'disposable income', but in my mind it doesn't include the cost of feeding your family, or heating your home, or other essential expenditure.

DavidinSouthampton · Dec 16, 2014

BigGully said:
How exactly does that work, what has repossession of leased goods got to do with hunger ?

Repossession of leased goods has nothing specifically to do with hunger - and the cars might be on HP and about to be repossessed rather than leased.

It's just if a regular income dries up through redundancy or whatever, the trappings of a wealthier more comfortable lifestyle might still be there although the income is not there to pay for it. By the same token, there might not be money to pay for food.

BigGully · Dec 16, 2014

hans kraay fan club said:
I'm not sure how you define 'disposable income', but in my mind it doesn't include the cost of feeding your family, or heating your home, or other essential expenditure.

I think you know only too well what was meant, go on then factor in those things and lets see where it takes us, you have £880 per month to play with ?

This isnt meant to be a disparaging to those in receipt of benefits, but if you want to talk about poverty and the need for food banks then it is quite reasonable to try and see how the most vulnerable might fair.

BigGully · Dec 16, 2014

DavidinSouthampton said:
Repossession of leased goods has nothing specifically to do with hunger - and the cars might be on HP and about to be repossessed rather than leased.

It's just if a regular income dries up through redundancy or whatever, the trappings of a wealthier more comfortable lifestyle might still be there although the income is not there to pay for it. By the same token, there might not be money to pay for food.

Your just stating a set of circumstances that might incur some financial difficulties, notwithstanding the responsibility of that person to perhaps to withhold some of his monthly income rather than spunk it on cars !!!

hans kraay fan club · Dec 16, 2014

BigGully said:
I think you know only too well what was meant.

I don't, no.

Disposable Income, is commonly a term used to describe a household's 'spare' money - money for frivolities like a latte from a coffee shop, a trip to the cinema, or an Albion ticket. In suggesting that this theoretical household had £220 a week in Disposable Income (i.e. not deducting anything for all of their essentials), you were putting them in a position of luxury compared to most. I thought it was worth correcting that misrepresentation, that's all.

BigGully · Dec 16, 2014

hans kraay fan club said:
I don't, no.

Disposable Income, is commonly a term used to describe a household's 'spare' money - money for frivolities like a latte from a coffee shop, a trip to the cinema, or an Albion ticket. In suggesting that this theoretical household had £220 a week in Disposable Income (i.e. not deducting anything for all of their essentials), you were putting them in a position of luxury compared to most. I thought it was worth correcting that misrepresentation, that's all.

Well you do now .....

Thunder Bolt · Dec 16, 2014

aolstudios said:
There were less people in need before austerity. The need has been created by government policy

A small example - I found out that the house next door but one, is being rented out at 1K a month. This is Newhaven, not Brighton, & it's a 3 bedroom terrace. If we hadn't got a mortgage, we wouldn't be able to afford our own house now. Rents have more than doubled, but according to Big Gully, housing benefit is £190 a week. There's a shortfall there.

BigGully · Dec 16, 2014

Thunder Bolt said:
A small example - I found out that the house next door but one, is being rented out at 1K a month. This is Newhaven, not Brighton, & it's a 3 bedroom terrace. If we hadn't got a mortgage, we wouldn't be able to afford our own house now. Rents have more than doubled, but according to Big Gully, housing benefit is £190 a week. There's a shortfall there.

But with respect, do you expect the government, me and other tax payers to be your guarantor for you current standard of living ??

vegster · Dec 16, 2014

Hastings gull said:
A very apt question. The answer is very difficult. Do we know more about this family's circumstances? What did they spend it on to get into such a situation, and if life is this bad, why is not every family on benefits making such similar claims? Was the benefit simply not enough or were they profligate with their cash? We just don't know. Of course it might not be their fault in the slightest, but yet again they could just be reckless people. I would be very wary of taking one family and then asking such a wide-ranging question.

From what I remember they said they often " Invited themselves " to relatives houses for a meal out as another way of coping. They certainly did not sound reckless to me but the question is still valid.

I grew up in a small terraced house, my father did not earn great money and my mother had a part time cleaning job. I don't recall many family holidays and waking up in winter was not fun as we had parrafin heaters in the bedrooms to keep warm as central heating didn't exist but still we always had food to eat.

I can never remember hearing of Food Banks until about 10 years ago, so what went wrong ? why do we need them now in country which is allegedly the 6th biggest economy in the world with an average salary of £27,000 in the year ending April 2013 ?

Thunder Bolt · Dec 16, 2014

BigGully said:
But with respect, do you expect the government, me and other tax payers to be your guarantor for you current standard of living ??

As a pensioner, that's exactly what you're doing!

I have paid into the system for 50 years though.

BigGully · Dec 16, 2014

vegster said:
From what I remember they said they often " Invited themselves " to relatives houses for a meal out as another way of coping. They certainly did not sound reckless to me but the question is still valid.

I grew up in a small terraced house, my father did not earn great money and my mother had a part time cleaning job. I don't recall many family holidays and waking up in winter was not fun as we had parrafin heaters in the bedrooms to keep warm as central heating didn't exist but still we always had food to eat.

I can never remember hearing of Food Banks until about 10 years ago, so what went wrong ? why do we need them now in country which is allegedly the 6th biggest economy in the world with an average salary of £27,000 in the year ending April 2013 ?

You have answered your own question, but transfer the average wage which tells us little and then put in the benefits that we are all entitled to.

Your gonna hate it, but show me an example, outside of the extremes of society's that I wholly support should access any support available it doesnt follow that this somehow indicates Britain is some impoverished third world country that couldnt function without food banks.

Felpham Seagull · Dec 16, 2014

Ive done my benefits on fags and booze nether mind I.ll pop down the food bank FFS

vegster · Dec 16, 2014

BigGully said:
You have answered your own question, but transfer the average wage which tells us little and then put in the benefits that we are all entitled to.

Your gonna hate it, but show me an example, outside of the extremes of society's that I wholly support should access any support available it doesnt follow that this somehow indicates Britain is some impoverished third world country that couldnt function without food banks.

The fact that they exist at all is a bad sign, if we were to hear of food banks throwing food away as they can't find people to give it to then maybe, the next question would be " why do people start food banks ? "

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