Britain Isn't Eating: Duncan Smith's Fury As Church's Advert Campaign Says That Benefit Cuts Are Forcing Poor To Use Food Banks

[interestrateripoff]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2528083/Britain-isnt-eating-Duncan-Smiths-fury-Churchs-advent-campaign-says-benefit-cuts-forcing-poor-use-food-banks.html

Still as long as property prices are going up... Let them eat bricks.

[SarahBell]

Oldham: 126 people fed last week 65 due to benefit delay/changes

http://www.oldham.gov.uk/press/article/588/council_shows_festive_support_for_oldham_foodbank

This brings the total amount of food donated by the Council since December 2012 to more than 1.5 tonnes.

Edited December 23, 2013 by SarahBell

[richc]

If people in Britain are starving, then how exactly is it that no one dies of starvation in America where benefits levels are almost non-existent in comparison to the UK?

This entire food bank meme is nothing more than leftist PR hot air. Offer people free food and they will take it, irrespective of whatever level of benefits are on offer. Government spending certainly creates plenty of jobs for the insiders, though, and we wouldn't want to limit that.

[Ah-so]

If people in Britain are starving, then how exactly is it that no one dies of starvation in America where benefits levels are almost non-existent in comparison to the UK?

This entire food bank meme is nothing more than leftist PR hot air. Offer people free food and they will take it, irrespective of whatever level of benefits are on offer. Government spending certainly creates plenty of jobs for the insiders, though, and we wouldn't want to limit that.

I would not dismiss it that quickly without evidence. What you need is some evidence of the finances of people using food banks. Is income really insufficient to cover basic food.

[SarahBell]

I would not dismiss it that quickly without evidence. What you need is some evidence of the finances of people using food banks. Is income really insufficient to cover basic food.

I don't quite get the "3 times only" thing.

What if your circumstances don't improve after you've had 3 lots of food? Do you then starve?

[darwin]

I would not dismiss it that quickly without evidence. What you need is some evidence of the finances of people using food banks. Is income really insufficient to cover basic food.

Not sure using that image was a good choice. You can't just go around jacking other people's work.

If it turns out they didn't pay for it, well, Charles Saatchi is in a helluva fighting mood at the moment

[crashmonitor]

The average food banker is going to be fatter than average and smoke more than average.....all additional calories will do is enable them to smoke more or get even fatter. As I have previously said fruit, vegetables and salads are seriously expensive(relative to five packets of biscuits for a quid from Poundland) unless like me you get them from the Tesco discount shelf for pennies at the end of the day. I would be in favour of nutrition stations offering these dietary supplements for the poor but not the present set up which is killing out of kindness.

Edited December 23, 2013 by crashmonitor

[1929crash]

If people in Britain are starving, then how exactly is it that no one dies of starvation in America where benefits levels are almost non-existent in comparison to the UK?

This entire food bank meme is nothing more than leftist PR hot air. Offer people free food and they will take it, irrespective of whatever level of benefits are on offer. Government spending certainly creates plenty of jobs for the insiders, though, and we wouldn't want to limit that.

Lots of people go hungry in America - 49 million people dependent on food stamps. I don't think though that there are any official stats counting death through malnutrition. They would put something else on the death certificate - heart failure, pneumonia and the like are so much more political discreet.

But it's good to see that some things never change - Dickens lampooned the mentality exhibited by people such as yourself. In response to an appeal for charity for the poor, Scrooge asked "Where are the workhouses; where are the prisons?"at the beginning of the A Christmas Carol.

Interesting to see that you credit only the political left with a sense of compassion.

[Billy soy]

If people in Britain are starving, then how exactly is it that no one dies of starvation in America where benefits levels are almost non-existent in comparison to the UK?

This entire food bank meme is nothing more than leftist PR hot air. Offer people free food and they will take it, irrespective of whatever level of benefits are on offer. Government spending certainly creates plenty of jobs for the insiders, though, and we wouldn't want to limit that.

It is not being offered for free, you need a referral. It seems most of those affected are being sanctioned by IDS and the rest? No doubt struggling to pay their rent or mortgage or just plain shafted by their employers.

If the rise in food bank use was really lefty hot air IDS and Cameron would have released the reporting from the inquiry they commissioned into food banks. Instead they used a prime minesterial veto to suppress its findings.

Which sounds like its anything but lefty hotair more so Tory spite.

[tinker]

It is not being offered for free, you need a referral. It seems most of those affected are being sanctioned by IDS and the rest? No doubt struggling to pay their rent or mortgage or just plain shafted by their employers.

If the rise in food bank use was really lefty hot air IDS and Cameron would have released the reporting from the inquiry they commissioned into food banks. Instead they used a prime minesterial veto to suppress its findings.

Which sounds like its anything but lefty hotair more so Tory spite.

+1

Involved with these schemes locally. People are hurting. Job Centre benefits are not a lot of money and with the current regime you can be soon in trouble. Food is only available via agency referral.

Still, as long as house prices are growing and we are pretending the GDP is on the up.

[richc]

Lots of people go hungry in America - 49 million people dependent on food stamps. I don't think though that there are any official stats counting death through malnutrition. They would put something else on the death certificate - heart failure, pneumonia and the like are so much more political discreet.

But it's good to see that some things never change - Dickens lampooned the mentality exhibited by people such as yourself. In response to an appeal for charity for the poor, Scrooge asked "Where are the workhouses; where are the prisons?"at the beginning of the A Christmas Carol.

Interesting to see that you credit only the political left with a sense of compassion.

It's not "compassion" -- it's political posturing, and the fact that "people such as yourself" can't differentiate the two is half the reason this country is in such a mess.

If there's a problem with people not eating healthy food, then, by all means, solve that problem. The government could very easily provide benefits in the form of a payment card that is only used for decent food (i.e. something similar to American food stamps), but the Left howl and squeal that such a thing would demonize the poor, who must be handed a big wad of cash to spend however they'd like (unless it might affect house prices, in which case all benefit money must be directly channeled to landlords).

[bristolhunter]

If people in Britain are starving, then how exactly is it that no one dies of starvation in America where benefits levels are almost non-existent in comparison to the UK?

This entire food bank meme is nothing more than leftist PR hot air. Offer people free food and they will take it, irrespective of whatever level of benefits are on offer. Government spending certainly creates plenty of jobs for the insiders, though, and we wouldn't want to limit that.

Quite. The reality is, food banks are used because they're there. They're used more than they used to be because there are more of them, and they're more publicised.

The requiring referral is easy to game - it's not as though a GP is going to refuse a mother who turns on the waterworks and says her children are hungry - where else can you do half the week's shop for under ten minute's effort? The idea that people don't have the few £ a week necessary to eat when they somehow manage to prioritise everything else under the sun is simply comic.

[okaycuckoo]

If people in Britain are starving, then how exactly is it that no one dies of starvation in America where benefits levels are almost non-existent in comparison to the UK?

This entire food bank meme is nothing more than leftist PR hot air. Offer people free food and they will take it, irrespective of whatever level of benefits are on offer. Government spending certainly creates plenty of jobs for the insiders, though, and we wouldn't want to limit that.

Food stamps are a massive benefit in the US - they were ramped up in 1968 after a TV documentary on a child who died of starvation. Government policy then ramped up the price of wheat - have a look at this:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/amber-waves-of-shame/

15% of the US population uses them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplemental_Nutrition_Assistance_Program#Participants

The US is statist too, just with different emphasis. Monopolised health care, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, subsidised crop production, subsidised banking etc.

[Executive Sadman]

The poor are fat. They might freeze to death because of shitty housing and landlords, but they wont starve.

[crashmonitor]

During my STR spell I had neighbours (and socialised with people) who were in receipt of charitable help. Basically live revolves about ensuring the cigarette and alcohol money is there, that even included one bloke using a charitable donation for his flat redecoration entirely on cigarettes, the redecoration never get done.

If anything is responsible for impoverishing the poor it is not the cost of food but the excise duty exacted on them.

There is a problem with healthy food costing a lot of money, an apple can be the same price as a packet of biscuits. That is what food banks should be concentrating on, nutrition. Nobody is starving.

Edited December 23, 2013 by crashmonitor

[Butthead]

During my STR spell I had neighbours (and socialised with people) who were in receipt of charitable help. Basically live revolves about ensuring the cigarette and alcohol money is there, that even included one bloke using a charitable donation for his flat redecoration entirely on cigarettes, the redecoration never get done.

If anything is responsible for impoverishing the poor it is not the cost of food but the excise duty exacted on them.

There is a problem with healthy food costing a lot of money, an apple can be the same price as a packet of biscuits. That is what food banks should be concentrating on, nutrition. Nobody is starving.

So a guy spends his money on cigarettes and the problem you see with this is that cigarettes are too expensive...?

No doubts at the back of your mind about the validity of spending ones limited resources on cigarettes? Not a glimmer of the concept of personal responsibility and decisions equalling consequences...?

[crashmonitor]

So a guy spends his money on cigarettes and the problem you see with this is that cigarettes are too expensive...?

No doubts at the back of your mind about the validity of spending ones limited resources on cigarettes? Not a glimmer of the concept of personal responsibility and decisions equalling consequences...?

You are right, of course. I was stating why some people run out of money, personal responsibility should play a part,.

[Lennon]

I think that Food banks are pretty close to the definition of 'the wrong answer to the the wrong question'.

If the problem is nutrition (which I can quite believe is the case in a number of instances) - then food / nutrition education, not hand-outs are the answer.

If the problem is (limited) money being spent on the wrong things, then education and targeted benefits is the answer, rather than additional hand-outs.

If the problem is genuine homelessness - then food banks aren't even close to the solution - only solving a minor, rather than the major issue.

The only situation where a food bank could potentially be of genuine use that I can see is if there is a gap in benefits for some reason (HMRC / Job Centre making a mistake etc.) but then the issue is not really a lack of food issue - but a lack of money issue.

If I have missed something then I am very happy to hear about it as there are a lot of people who are clearly giving a large amount of time and effort towards these, and that should be acknowledged; - but if it is being unproductive, or even positively unhelpful then that is a lot of wasted effort...

Edited December 23, 2013 by Lennon

[1929crash]

It is not being offered for free, you need a referral. It seems most of those affected are being sanctioned by IDS and the rest? No doubt struggling to pay their rent or mortgage or just plain shafted by their employers.

If the rise in food bank use was really lefty hot air IDS and Cameron would have released the reporting from the inquiry they commissioned into food banks. Instead they used a prime minesterial veto to suppress its findings.

Which sounds like its anything but lefty hotair more so Tory spite.

There is something deliciously ironic in witnessing the fact that Hans Kammler has more commonsense and compassion than Nick Clegg and the Tories.

[Travisher]

Tough love might make a difference but I doubt it. We have an entitlement culture and it is embedded deep.

As a young man I visited some friends, I had little money as I was a bus driver so had to watch the pennies.

When I got to my friend's house, a semi derelict bungalow he had no food in the house but his partner had just spent their last pennies on a packet of fags.

So I decided to teach them a lesson rather than bail them out. I found some rhubarb in the overgrown garden and lots of nettles.

So for supper it was nettle soup followed by boiled rhubarb.

30 years on and he is still a feckless waster but he inherited his hard working dad's money.

[crashmonitor]

Tough love might make a difference but I doubt it. We have an entitlement culture and it is embedded deep.

As a young man I visited some friends, I had little money as I was a bus driver so had to watch the pennies.

When I got to my friend's house, a semi derelict bungalow he had no food in the house but his partner had just spent their last pennies on a packet of fags.

So I decided to teach them a lesson rather than bail them out. I found some rhubarb in the overgrown garden and lots of nettles.

So for supper it was nettle soup followed by boiled rhubarb.

30 years on and he is still a feckless waster but he inherited his hard working dad's money.

I've really got to give this nettle soup a try when the new growth comes in the spring, I'm told it is as good as asparagus. Poor man's asparagus soup and rhubarb to follow sounds a bit of a treat.

[Ulfar]

Of course we are also ignoring the other elephant in the room which is food additives. Bad food can be as addictive as nicotine and suppresses the feeling of being full due to certain additives. So not only are you addicted but eating the food doesn't assuage your hunger.

Maybe if the government wanted to tackle the food industry we might have a wee bit more success at helping people eat healthy.

As far as IDS getting enraged, well its about time somebody stuck a pin in him. It isn't about what people need for him, its about what makes him look good or bad.

[Byron]

Well, abolish tobacco duty. It causes more harm that good.

But,

That is logical, not political.

[durhamborn]

IDS fury,?

Really?.The man who will end up wasting billions with his crazy UC farce?

Most use of food banks is driven due to sanctions.If you have kids you only lose JSA but keep child tax credits,,if you get DLA you only lose JSA,if your working 16 hours and claiming £400 a week tax credits even though your partner earns £500 a week but isn't down as there fine,youl never get caught.

If your someone,lets say 55 who lives alone.Always worked since 16.Lose your job and cant find anything,.You make one mistake on your form,you maybe miss an interview.JSA of £72 stopped and NO income at all.Sanctioned.

That is why food bank use is up.Because the use of sanctions is up.

IDS has been a complete failure at the DWP.Tax credits,LHA,HB,income support,,all still being fleeced,all seeing no reform.

Some poor sod on their own,late middle aged,always worked,,,sanctioned.

IDS is a liar,a failure and a fraud.

He has failed to reform welfare so instead tries to blame everyone but himself.

[bristolhunter]

If your someone,lets say 55 who lives alone.Always worked since 16.Lose your job and cant find anything,.You make one mistake on your form,you maybe miss an interview.JSA of £72 stopped and NO income at all.Sanctioned.

That is why food bank use is up.Because the use of sanctions is up.

Yeah, sanctions are the problem. Nothing to do with an attitude that it's okay to have a 40 year working career, and yet to put £15 away in savings, so inability to eat immediately follows any problem.