Hunger In Britain Today

[naomi24]

Following on from the Food Banks thread, if hunger in Britain really is as prevalent as it's claimed to be, you would think the Daily Mirror, the champion of the ‘working classes’ might have taken the trouble to find a genuinely British, genuinely poor, child for its front page picture. If its headline is anything to go by it shouldn’t have been too difficult.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2014/apr/16/daily-mirror-weeping-child-lie-food-banks

Tut! Just who can you believe?

[HARPY]

/// One reporter, on a recent visit to the Hastings food bank, encountered a couple who arrived by taxi, even though there was a bus service between their home and the centre. ///

If a friend owns a cab and offers a lift should they turn the lift down to make them look more genuine.

[emmie]

was it a friend who offered them a lift, one thing i would add, that
in the short time i was unemployed - in the really bad old days, how often i saw those claimants who were signing on, drive up in nice motors, or more often work vehicles, like plumbers, builders, and so on, if they worked off the cards, then no one was any the wiser.
besides i also doubt that those in genuine need would roll up in a cab, they would more likely walk to save the fares of the bus.

[New Judge]

"If we all put off having children, buying a house etc. just in case things might go tits up then no one would really achieve anything."

Quite so, ummm.

But lots of people have children, buy (or rent) a house - or get an “affordable“ one paying very little rent, - buy a car or two and lead extravagant lifestyles before they are really in a position to do so. They're not concerned about things going tits up - they already are pointing skywards but they press on secure in the knowledge that the State will look after them and the charity industry will step in and provide additional support in the way discussed here. How many people continue to knock out children whilst on benefits (and as such are unable to support the children they already have, let alone any more)? I’m not talking about one extra child, which may have been unplanned, but multiple extra children.

It’s quite true that things are not always as they seem to be and answers are not always straightforward. But this alternative version of circumstances needs to be dicussed before we talk of people dying in their swathes of hunger unless they are given free food.

[anotheoldgit]

New Judge

/// but they press on secure in the knowledge that the State will look after them and the charity industry will step in and provide additional support in the way discussed here. ///

How very true, take this case.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2605677/Mother-two-never-worked-encouraged-daughter-pregnant-council-house-easy-life-benefits.html

[ToraToraTora]

I dont blame them working the system, I blame the system that allows it.