Money Moral Dilemma: Should someone who earns a decent wage use food banks?

RubyL

Some people who contribute to Food Banks (e.g buy a couple of extra items at the Supermarket and drop them in their collection box) aren’t particularly well off themselves - they just want to help the less fortunate NOT the people who take from the less fortunate!

anothernumber

If the reason is self induced ie failure to budget,  smoking, drinking, expensive habits,  then they should get the food bank support. Once these things have been curbed then they should be able to access the support.  Like every benefit should be, it has to be means tested to ensure a fair distribution. 

olioer

Anyone can use the free food sharing app Olio which has daily surplus food items from supermarkets and stores or from peoples own items. You can post spare food or non food items and help save stuff from going to waste. You can also list items you are looking for under wanted and even find items that you can borrow. Helping each other and the planet.

Mum1957

I thought you had to get a referral in order to use a food bank.  We have a community fridge in our area which is free to anyone who wants to use it.  If I donate to a food bank I expect my donation to go to someone who really needs it.

HelenCecilia

I think some advice on managing her money would be helpful. Then she may see for herself that she doesn’t need the food bank. Some people are helpless in this regard as not taught about it at school, so help but don’t judge

purplebutterfly

arnoldy said:

They are often the ones who are better off than many! housing (repairs and maintenance) paid for, and if they have been signed off as "disabled" then more money, plus X-claiming carers allowance for each other etc, plus £1350 cost of living + free TV + Warm front discount, all index linked, and - .

Meanwhile the grafters get little - working all hours and battling on, I just wish they could be rewarded and recognised. You know who they are, taxi drivers, cleaners, bus drivers, hospitality workers, shop workers etc

Okay, where to start with this one? 

There is NO disabled person receiving disability benefits that would not prefer to be able to work.

It genuinely breaks my heart to see posts like this because I spent years working with disabled people  as a supported employment officer where I would try to find employment for people with disabilities who were struggling to find work.   

Now I am one of the disabled people who can't work due to multiple chronic, incurable, progressive illnesses which have destroyed my body.  Even if I could, it's hard to find a job where you can phone in and say "sorry, can't come in today my legs and arms aren't working but they might be better tomorrow - or they might be better in a couple of weeks or this might be the start of multiple catastrophic organ failure, there is no way to tell".

I just about get by on the money I am extremely grateful to be given.  I will not be getting by in October.  I will not be able to afford heating, lighting, or to cook hot food. 

It is also unbelievably difficult to get disability benefits.  Unless you have been through it, you wouldn't believe how many DWP assessors refuse to believe doctors' evidence and ignore copies of scans and test results.

Firstly - the free TV part is nonsense.

Secondly - "X-claiming carers allowance for each other " might possibly be applicable in cases that are few and far between but definitely isn't standard.

Thirdly -  "housing (repairs and maintenance) paid for" .  Please tell me how I can access this service because I have never had a penny from anyone to pay for repairs and I lived in a flat where the ceiling literally fell on my head one day. 

Fourthly - " plus this and that" I don't know what this means but, other than being able to get a bus pass if you are severely disabled OR being able to exchange your PIP benefit for the rental of a modified vehicle (you cannot have both the money and the car - it is one or the other) then there aren't many other things out there.

I am well aware that certain tabloids love to demonise everyone on benefits but the rate of fraud in PIP disability claims is less than 1% and the TOTAL fraud rate for ALL benefits (not just disability) is 3.9%

The vast majority of people receiving benefits in this country are in work and need benefits money to top up their income.  

Synic

Personally I don't think we should have food banks at all. Firstly there will always be a demand for free stuff and this will eventually undermine the charitable purpose they were set up for, as more people who don't need them take advantage and people will stop giving. Of course they can be means tested but that just adds a private dimension to the benefits system and lets the government off the hook of paying sufficient for a dignified existence. Waste is another issue that is not addressed by dumping it on food banks and letting supermarkets socially greenwash their practices.

sammyjammy

The budgeting issue was originally planned to be part of Universal credit but quickly dropped before it was rolled out to the whole country to save money, short termism at its worst!  Because its never happened you now have many people spending all their UC money in the first couple of weeks of the month.  Its very easy to judge but if nobody has ever shown these people how and why to budget and look after their finances its a very hard thing to do and resources to help are very limited.

ginger_chocolate

Well this was a good way to invite everyone to come along and start speculating on/judging other people's lifestyles. 

Pass the popcorn...

Leftyness

I thought all food banks checks 'proof of benefits' before they give out anything. I might be being naive