Why Are Some Forced To Depend On Food Handouts In 'benefit Britain'?

[anotheoldgit]

On my visit to a supermarket today I saw shopping trolleys with notices on them asking for donations of items of food for the hungry of this country.

I cannot believe that in 2013 Britain there are people who have to depend on food handouts, especially when this country is supposed to be one of the richest in the world and taking into account the £billions we hand out freely to the rest of the world.

This is yet another time that I can say that I can never remember the time, even during the war, and pre Welfare State days, when I ever remember our local CO-OP appealing for persons to make donations of food for the hungry.

[pastafreak]

And there are more and more who are working in low paid jobs( the ones that keep the nation ticking over according to some),and will never get out of the poverty trap.

http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/monitoring-poverty-2012

[jim360]

//This is yet another time that I can say that I can never remember the time, even during the war, and pre Welfare State days, when I ever remember our local CO-OP appealing for persons to make donations of food for the hungry.//

Since it's often been said that back in the 1930s people were in true poverty the likes of which we've never seen, perhaps the question is why were shops back then not appealing for the donations that were needed even more back then than they are now? Seems to me that we're better-off now because of providing this support rather than not.

[Zeuhl]

I think we have identified one possible obstacle to aog's Coop in the 1930s collecting for a food bank

Today's packaged and processed foods lend themselves to safe collection, storage and distribution much better than the predominantly 'loose' foods sold in the past

I do recall the coop even in the 1960s selling loose biscuits from big tins

[Gromit]

In the 1930s everyone was in the same boat. There would be no point in appealing for food from people who were themselves hungry.

These days the gap between the rich and the poor is a lot wider. There are more people who are very rich and more people who are very poor.

Why does it not surprise me that AOG is oblivious to that fact.

[FredPuli43]

Puzzles me too, AOG. Our village hall has a basket to receive tins of food for this purpose. The average price of a house here is well over £500,000. Our poorest are by no means poor,either.But, ignoring that liberal middle class sensibility, I do not believe that there is anybody truly hungry in this country. I am inclined to the view that there are plenty of people who will take advantage of charity who, applying themselves realistically, and using what the welfare state provides, have no need of it.

[Sqad]

Fred....I must say that I agree with your thread and a simple question that I asked earlier in the thread has yet to be answered in that is the problem that financial "benefits" are not available OR that they are available but insufficient in value?

When i first went to med School in 1953, there was a churchyard in the Whitechapel Road where one could feed the "hobos" with bread rolls, a sort of tourist attraction and there was also around the corner Rowton House (/sp) where the "down and outs" could get a bed for the night and bread and cheese for about 1p.

We are now 60 years on of "Social Reform," is this thread saying that we have not moved on OR is it that the present generation are whinging?

[Octavius]

"I am inclined to the view that there are plenty of people who will take advantage of charity who, applying themselves realistically, and using what the welfare state provides, have no need of it."

So easy to say when you live in an ivory tower in Englands green and pleasant land. Try living in Tower Hamlets for a couple of months.

[FredPuli43]

Octavius, if you have any evidence that the people of Tower Hamlets are malnourished or underfed,or that charity is what stops them from being so, please give it.

[sherrardk]

http://www.towerhamletsfoodbank.org.uk/

[Sqad]

sherradk

"The average Tower Hamlets salary is £11,400 - "

That is £250 a week.......I know that some will be below that, but surely one can't be "starving" on £250 a week.

Can they?

[sherrardk]

By the time they have paid their rent, transport to get to work, utilities, etc there won't be much (if anything) left out of £250.

[Octavius]

sqad, a study carried out last year caluclated that the average family needed around £25k a year for mortgage/rent, utilities, insurance, food shopping and motoring, plus the cost of dressing a family, owning a mobile phone and landline, travelling to and from work and maintaining a property. That was just to standstill/stay afloat and included no luxuries whatsoever or childcare costs. Thats £480 a week including an £86 food bill.

[ummmm]

£250 a week is poverty if your rent is £200 a week!!!

[Octavius]

Average rent for a 2 bed property in TH is around £1,600 per month.

[Sqad]

Octavius:

Blimey £25,000 a year......Yes I would agree with that.....not at all surprised.

However, we are talking about a family that presented at "Foodbanks"....surely when you get to that stage, you don't need much "insurance", don't need a landline or mobile phone,haven't got a car, a family you can't afford, etc etc............in the old days, they were called "Beggars."

So, why have we got "Beggars" now? 21st century?

I have asked now three times on this thread and have yet to get an answer............perhaps nobody knows?

[jackthehat]

Isn't the figure given as 'salary', usually the gross figure?
That will be substantially reduced to give a true 'net' income.

[FredPuli43]

Given the above figures, somebody has to explain how and when the welfare state does not provide for a family living on £50 a week.

[jackthehat]

The drive to squeeze the Benefit Budget accounts for that, Fred.

As does the appalling level of the minimum wage.

[ummmm]

They are NOT beggars. They are people that have more outgoing than they have incoming.

Do you really expect people to give up/sell all their possessions from a time that they had some spare cash?

[Sqad]

\\\\\Do you really expect people to give up/sell all their possessions from a time that they had some spare cash? \\\

I can't speak for THEM, but i would rather sell possessions than take "handouts"......I suppose it is a matter of personal pride.

I used the term "Beggars" to describe the taking of handouts and not people who spend more than their income.

So, it seems that the answer is from the above.

1) The minimum wage needs raising
2) Benefits must not be capped but perhaps increased.

So, where is the money coming from?