Social Supermarkets selling rejected food

paulineb_2

C_Mababejive wrote: »

There is a growing form of economic apartheid in this country in which a gulf is opening up between certain benefit claimants and the silent majority of head down hard working individuals and families.

I mingle with all different socio economic /cultural levels in my work and i see it.

There are people who cannot/will not work and who live in nice modern houses/new builds/refurbished properties. They often have a standard of internal furnishing and equipage which puts many a "worker" in the shade. Often they will have a car whether bought or blagged on motobility.

They have all the trappings..i.e big telly,washer,dryer,carpets,


Take the current Energy debate. Hard working people are paying cash money in their annual bills so that others (those above and assorted con artists) can have their homes insulated,can have brand new boilers and heating systems,can have solar panels and a multitude of other comforts.

We even hear of fuel poverty and special energy deals a lower rates for some,paid by everyone else.

The other day whilst at work, i was listening to five live and there was a discussion about Subo who has now decided or been diagnosed that she has Aspergers syndrome.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520258/I-got-Aspergers-says-Susan-Boyle.html

There then followed a multiplicity of calls with parents,most if not all female ,telling the listeners about their little johnny who has this that or the other syndrome..many of which sounded like complete pie in the sky to me.

Get a kid with a syndrome and your quids in... You can rake in the cash and absolve yourself of responsibility for is behavioral/ learning deficit.

Essentially,you can be special..and in a world where things are getting tighter, being special usually means special treatment and more money...paid for by everyone else.


Now we have the latest evolution for special people.

Whilst the est of the mugs are working hard and paying top dollar for their ever increasing grocery bill down at Tescos,,the special people are getting it for next to nothing and saving money !

Why even bother to try?

It is no wonder that this country is sinking under the burden of our own !!!!less people and it is no wonder that there are legions more waiting across the channel to join then in Xanadu.

There are some people who do well on benefits. As a single female with no kids when I was on JSA, I got 71 quid a week. I have much of the same furniture I have when I moved into my flat 18 years ago. My cooker was given to me by a friend, my sofa and chairs cost me £100 again from a friend, Im still using the same ones.

I live in a council flat on one of the poorest and most anti social estates in my area, again, sweeping generalisations are not helpful.

As for the comments about Susan Boyle, what does that have to do with this debate? Its very clear and always has been that shes had some kind of learning disability, shes now been diagnosed with aspergers.

And every penny Susan Boyle has made, shes made from the talent that she has. Its also not true that every child with a diagnosed disorder will get any kind of benefit. I can also say, having seen kids who have really severe ADHD, I wouldnt wish that on any child or their families, I know a teacher who works in a school who has a lot of kids who have ADHD and its not easy for them or their parents.

Oh and the gravy train of benefits that made some people better off than those on the dole, who started it? The Government. If people have anger about this and yes I see families who have lots of kids and who are on benefit and earn about 5 times a month than I do, then direct it at the people who created this system in the first place.

But remember that some benefit claimants on the bare bones of JSA, arent sitting in their new build with a fancy telly or any telly.
Some people get by on benefits. Just. Thats what it was like for me when I was on JSA.

But people like me dont make a good daily mail headline.

cavework

Quote
There will always be people who miss out and there are millions of people on low incomes who dont get enough support.

This is my point, I am not bashing benefit recipients I am really angry that it has come to the situation where they should shop in a supermarket where food 'not considered acceptable to be sold' in the mainstream supermarkets is considered acceptable at a reduced rate to those on a low income.
Perhaps I have not explained this very well ...so one last try,
People on a low income are struggling enough as it is , being judged by some because they need benefits , cannot support their families without help.
They now are being told they can shop in a certain Supermarket because of this?
In my experience most people are trying really hard to improve their situation so please tell me how they will feel having to shop in one of these 'special' supermarkets when all it would take is for the mainstream supermarkets to stop concentrating on profits and adopt this strategy in their own stores?

paulineb_2

cavework wrote: »

Quote
There will always be people who miss out and there are millions of people on low incomes who dont get enough support.

This is my point, I am not bashing benefit recipients I am really angry that it has come to the situation where they should shop in a supermarket where food 'not considered acceptable to be sold' in the mainstream supermarkets is considered acceptable at a reduced rate to those on a low income.

It saddens me too. And it saddens me that so many people trot out the lazy, benefit claimant, drinking, smoking, flat screen telly arguments.

Ive a degree and two post grads and I struggled to find work, even minimum paid work when I was unemployed and when I did find work it was for 13 hours a week for 6.50 an hour, I was worse off than I would have been on the dole but I made the choice to go out and work because it was better than sitting on my bottom in the house waiting for signing on day to roll around (I did do voluntary work when I was unemployed a couple of days a week but it was soul destroying)

And yes people on a low income sometimes get a rough time of it because if you dont fall into the tick box of JSA or other benefits you miss out or find it harder to get stuff like fuel discounts and stuff like NHS vouchers.

Oh and by the way, I paid taxes for a long time, Ive put much more into the system over the years in the way of tax than Ive ever taken out and sometimes people forget that. Not everyone who has ever claimed a benefit sits on benefits all their lives, some people do need the safety net at times.

Ive been happy to use companies such as approved foods, saved me a fortune, so does shopping in home bargains, Im more than happy to shop there.

I actually think these shops are a much better option than your local rip off corner stores such as NISA. Thats the only shop in the housing scheme I live in and their prices are eyewatering at times, they tend to do special offers but if something isnt on special offer, apart from the very odd item, its best avoided

I do think that more food co-ops opening are again a sign of the times and it is sad, but personally, Im more than happy to support my local one, because its saving me an absolute fortune compared to Tesco and its not means tested. Although around 95 per cent of people around here are on some kind of benefit.

paulineb_2

cavework wrote: »

Quote
There will always be people who miss out and there are millions of people on low incomes who dont get enough support.

This is my point, I am not bashing benefit recipients I am really angry that it has come to the situation where they should shop in a supermarket where food 'not considered acceptable to be sold' in the mainstream supermarkets is considered acceptable at a reduced rate to those on a low income.
Perhaps I have not explained this very well ...so one last try,
People on a low income are struggling enough as it is , being judged by some because they need benefits , cannot support their families without help.
They now are being told they can shop in a certain Supermarket because of this?
In my experience most people are trying really hard to improve their situation so please tell me how they will feel having to shop in one of these 'special' supermarkets when all it would take is for the mainstream supermarkets to stop concentrating on profits and adopt this strategy in their own stores?

The thing is, its a take it or leave it, people can and could use companies such as approved foods. I agree about supermarkets in general. I posted something on another thread today about going to buy a packet of frozen veg in tesco today and its 45p dearer than it was last week. Might not be much to some people but if you are on a low income, its a hell of a lot.

Companies such as home bargains, poundland, poundworld etc do help, Ive saved a fortune shopping there, home bargains is an excellent shop. But again, depends on what people have in their area. Certainly no stigma shopping in there and the prices are excellent.

Id shop anywhere that got me a bargain, such is my income, but I do agree that places like these special supermarkets should be opened out to anyone on a low income.

katylou6180

I just felt compelled to stick my two penneth in here, myself and my oh both work full time and have one child as that was all we could afford, and I consider us very lucky to have the jobs that we do...been through redundancies and hard times to get here including moving out and sitting on inflatable sofas because we couldn't afford furniture! I think this scheme has a lot of benefits, stopping food waste going to landfill and stopping things being wasted, the part that has been "got wrong" is the fact that only people on benefits can access it!! A family where no one works can go and fill their trolleys with cheap food and feed their family as well as they wish (be it processed food, meat n two veg, the choice is theirs) whereas a family where a mother is bringing up children, cannot afford childcare to go to work as dad is working 40 hours (plus sometimes) in a minimum wage job to make ends meet cannot go and shop there- it's ludicrous!! Both of these situations could use the help, I just hope going forward once they've finished the pilot scheme, that they implement some form of system similar to other means tested things- ie regardless of if you work or not, if your income is below a certain level you will be able to partake should you wish. Rant over!