chem1st Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 How interesting. Not long ago there was a thread where several posters were condemning people using food banks who didn't need to. Now a Tory says it (allegedly - I question the web site, it looks like the Daily Mash), and people disagree! Foodbanks, reduced section, allotments, the CAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpikeMac Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 http://politicalscrapbook.net/ seems almost entirely anti-tory. Has there been a reputable agency report on this yet? The Guardian or the Mirror at all? How interesting. Not long ago there was a thread where several posters were condemning people using food banks who didn't need to. Now a Tory says it (allegedly - I question the web site, it looks like the Daily Mash), and people disagree! Will you accept Hansard as a reputable source? The bloke is clearly an idiot who has no idea of the challenges faced by many people. Would any of our Tory posters like to defend his ridiculous claims? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampent Posted July 3, 2013 Author Share Posted July 3, 2013 Will you accept Hansard as a reputable source? The bloke is clearly an idiot who has no idea of the challenges faced by many people. Would any of our Tory posters like to defend his ridiculous claims? They can't :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walkley Dave Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 He seems to think people can just walk up to a food bank and take what they want. That isn't the way it works, but then who would expect a Tory like him to know how the poor actually live, rather than just read about it in a book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I'm surprised that one of the forum nasties haven't said that they should make the food less luxurious to discourage people from using them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 This was the thread I was referring to: Aside from the conman. One of them emptied his food parcel into a full cupboard. One guy was playing on the phone whilst waiting. The woman who had 5 kids was driving a car and dressed very well, her home was immaculate and she had many quality items in it that could be sold for decent sums - the first time she got food she perhaps didn't need it, the 2nd time AFTER loss of benefits she did. Should she really have been keeping a car to do voluntary work though? The young girl was one of the most deserving, but she spent money on heating when she didn't need to IMO. The other family being the young couple with a child who were really struggling but made little fuss of it, the husband said £90 a week would be plenty for a 4 person family. The benefits system is there to help people, food aid should be there for when the benefits system fails. The benefit (social security) system seems to be passing people off to charities. rather than functioning how it should! We need to debate the minimum living standards we feel that our citizens should have. Should they be given the bare minimum to survive and forced into such poverty that they succumb to disease (disease which know no class boundaries)? Or should we treat fellow humans with respect and dignity? I support a welfare state, but I don't think people should be turning to the charity sector unless they are in real need. It is a slippery slope to a Dickensian state. For once Chem1st I almost agree with you on a point. Having scanned through a bbc printed article running alongside the programme I have just read several accounts from users of the food bank who have mobiles, cars, pets, household electronics and one serial child breeder despite never having a job in her life. Comments from so called "people in food poverty" saying they have nothing left for food after they have paid for utilities, phone, tv licence etc. Is it just me that can see a complete lack of money management here. ...phone and tv licence over food Will be watching very carefully on this show - particularly gonna be interested in what I can spot in the background with regards their assets. While Freud's comments are insensitive and ignorant, and I'm not defending him, we do have to make sure we're not spoon feeding people an easy option or help them play the system. The thread I referenced contains a post I made about a colleague who worked at a food bank and was unhappy at the gloats from certain users about getting free food to give them more to spend on drink and cigarettes. OK, that's anecdotal, but it does happen, and needs investigating to make the whole media coverage balanced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 This was the thread I was referring to: While Freud's comments are insensitive and ignorant, and I'm not defending him, we do have to make sure we're not spoon feeding people an easy option or help them play the system. The thread I referenced contains a post I made about a colleague who worked at a food bank and was unhappy at the gloats from certain users about getting free food to give them more to spend on drink and cigarettes. OK, that's anecdotal, but it does happen, and needs investigating to make the whole media coverage balanced. It was interesting to see the different reactions of posters to those 'taking advantage' of food banks, and those taking advantage of the reduced section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melthebell Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 He seems to think people can just walk up to a food bank and take what they want. That isn't the way it works, but then who would expect a Tory like him to know how the poor actually live, rather than just read about it in a book? you mean have it read to him from a book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 This was the thread I was referring to: While Freud's comments are insensitive and ignorant, and I'm not defending him, we do have to make sure we're not spoon feeding people an easy option or help them play the system. The thread I referenced contains a post I made about a colleague who worked at a food bank and was unhappy at the gloats from certain users about getting free food to give them more to spend on drink and cigarettes. OK, that's anecdotal, but it does happen, and needs investigating to make the whole media coverage balanced. I wouldn't worry about the latest outpouring of sympathy for the poor after Lord Freud's comments, or that the poor might get an easy ride and play the system; I'm sure that there's plenty of people making doubly sure that doesn't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I help out at a Sheffield food bank. All the people we help have been referred by a social worker, GP, CAB or other agency. As well as receiving food from the bank they also receive help with benefit claims, advice on budgeting etc. The food is short term to tide them over the immediate crisis they face, until with help they get their problems sorted out. If you become unemployed it can take a fortnight or more before you receive any benefit, and Osborne now says you have to be unemployed for at least a week before you can even claim, as " in that time you should be looking for work, not filing a claim'. The most worrying thing about this idiot Lord is he's a minister in the DWP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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