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> but pretty much everyone will get 3 meals a day there. Incorrect. Whilst I am still shocked by the way America treats homeless people and those at the bottom

> but pretty much everyone will get 3 meals a day there. Incorrect. Whilst I am still shocked by the way America treats homeless people and those at the bottom of society, the UK is headed down the same path. Over a million people used food banks in the UK last year. These are essentially "last resort" facilities run by charities where people can get food parcels if referred by social services or a doctor. The main reason for using them is having welfare benefits withdrawn.

stevetrewick 11y ago
>* Incorrect* Is it ? >Over a million people used food banks in the UK last year. ~1.6% of the UK's ~60M population, seems to fit 'most everyone' even if those FB users didn't get three squares for themselves and their family, which thanks to the work of the food banks, they do. Apropos the parent's point, the food banks exist. Which means that you live in a society that values you so highly that it will step in to protect you even when the universal welfare system that is supposed to look after you fails to do so and you slip through the cracks. You are therefore one of the luckiest people on the planet. Meta : Incidentally, that 'over a million' figure is only from Trussell Trust, there are other food banks around the UK that do not operate under their umbrella, and as for 'the main reason', meh, certainly the largest single reason reported by users at a shade under 30% which means that 70% of food bank use is for other reasons (though this includes 13% 'benefit changes'). Trussell Trust's reported stats can be found here http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats
tlarkworthy 11y ago
You have made his point, food banks are giving those that can't afford food, food.
- DanBC 11y ago
  But those foodbanks are provided by charities, not by the state. They exist because the state is quick to put people on benefits suspension (a temporary withdrawal of benefits while they seek more information) or sanctions (a temporary or permanent loss of benefits as a punishment for breaking one of the very many rules (which is easy to do because there are so many rules and it's impossible to get advice about whether an action is rule-breaking or not)). This is a change in the current / last government. Previous governments would have had the sanctions, but provided emergency loans for people to buy food. These changes have seen an increase in suicides among people claiming benefits.

stevetrewick 11y ago

>* Incorrect* Is it ? >Over a million people used food banks in the UK last year. ~1.6% of the UK's ~60M population, seems to fit 'most everyone' even if those FB users didn't get three squares for themselves and their family, which thanks to the work of the food banks, they do. Apropos the parent's point, the food banks exist. Which means that you live in a society that values you so highly that it will step in to protect you even when the universal welfare system that is supposed to look after you fails to do so and you slip through the cracks. You are therefore one of the luckiest people on the planet. Meta : Incidentally, that 'over a million' figure is only from Trussell Trust, there are other food banks around the UK that do not operate under their umbrella, and as for 'the main reason', meh, certainly the largest single reason reported by users at a shade under 30% which means that 70% of food bank use is for other reasons (though this includes 13% 'benefit changes'). Trussell Trust's reported stats can be found here http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats

tlarkworthy 11y ago

You have made his point, food banks are giving those that can't afford food, food.

DanBC 11y ago
But those foodbanks are provided by charities, not by the state. They exist because the state is quick to put people on benefits suspension (a temporary withdrawal of benefits while they seek more information) or sanctions (a temporary or permanent loss of benefits as a punishment for breaking one of the very many rules (which is easy to do because there are so many rules and it's impossible to get advice about whether an action is rule-breaking or not)). This is a change in the current / last government. Previous governments would have had the sanctions, but provided emergency loans for people to buy food. These changes have seen an increase in suicides among people claiming benefits.