Food and Baby Banks

[Al Bundy]

6 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

But that is exactly my point. Why is it being used by nurses and carers? Some of whom are earning far more than minimum wage.   Qualified Nurses certainly aren't on poverty wages so I have to ask what exactly are they spending their money on. 

 

  Cost of living crisis is not a new concept. Plenty of our past generations had to live through similar circumstances if not even worse. So what exactly did they do that this modern generation can't manage. 

 

Starting pay for a qualified nurse is between £25,600 to £31,500 a year.   Even lowly National minimum wage for most adults equates to around £22,300 annual salary for a full-time worker. 

 

They seriously cannot afford a basic weekly grocery shop on that sort of salary.  Like I said, something doesn't add up.

ECCO for Pm!!🙏

[Axe]

19 minutes ago, SheffieldForum said:

You're trolling now.

 

Not at all.  

[SheffieldForum]

6 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

But that is exactly my point. Why is it being used by nurses and carers? Some of whom are earning far more than minimum wage.   Qualified Nurses certainly aren't on poverty wages so I have to ask what exactly are they spending their money on. 

 

  Cost of living crisis is not a new concept. Plenty of our past generations had to live through similar circumstances if not even worse. So what exactly did they do that this modern generation can't manage. 

 

Starting pay for a qualified nurse is between £25,600 to £31,500 a year.   Even lowly National minimum wage for most adults equates to around £22,300 annual salary for a full-time worker. 

 

They seriously cannot afford a basic weekly grocery shop on that sort of salary.  Like I said, something doesn't add up.

 

What about a part-time, single parent nurse who's circumstances have recently changed for some reason (?

 

Or a part-time single parent carer who isn't qualified and is on just about minimum wage and getting the bare minimum of state support?

 

Or a full-time worker who has gone through a medical emergency resulting in needing time off and going over their SSP allowance?

 

Or someone who is the victim of domestic abuse and has escaped and is working but has debt and is struggling to find permanent accomodation?

 

As I said, there are many different cicumstances that lead to food bank use, and food bank use isn't necessarily permanent (i.e. you're always referred/claiming food parcels). It is [should be] there as a backstop for the most dire of circumstances... the main story is that for the most part the prevalence of those circumstances is increasing.

 

The vast majority of food bank use is from people opn benefits, but that doesn't discount that other walks of life may find the need to utilise a food bank at some stage. It only takes a slight change in circumstances - there are millions of people in the UK who have less than a few hundred pounds in savings to be able to cope with a sudden change to their life.

 

 

[SheffieldForum]

Article on NHS staff and nurses using food banks: https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/charities/charity-reports-more-than-500-nurses-using-food-banks-12-01-2023/

 

[PRESLEY]

2 hours ago, Axe said:

They are just glorified soup kitchens.  Soup kitchens have been going since the Quakers era. 

I've never heard of anyone having Quaker Oats in a Soup kitchen. 

[peak4]

I wonder how much may be related to this??
Why Britain is the world’s worst on homelessness
Insufficient housing, an eroded social sector and diminished state support made tens of thousands destitute
 John Burn-Murdoch Financial Times via Archive.ph
When people picture homelessness, they tend to imagine people sleeping rough on the street, tipped into insecurity by substance use problems.

Viewed this way, one might imagine the US would rank highest in any international comparison.
Wrong. The main form of homelessness is people living in temporary accommodation, the main driver is an inability to afford housing, and America is not even particularly close to the worst.

The UK holds that ignominious title, with an astonishing one in 200 households living in emergency lodging outside the formal housing sector.

[BigPP]

29 minutes ago, peak4 said:

I wonder how much may be related to this??
Why Britain is the world’s worst on homelessness
Insufficient housing, an eroded social sector and diminished state support made tens of thousands destitute
 John Burn-Murdoch Financial Times via Archive.ph
When people picture homelessness, they tend to imagine people sleeping rough on the street, tipped into insecurity by substance use problems.

Viewed this way, one might imagine the US would rank highest in any international comparison.
Wrong. The main form of homelessness is people living in temporary accommodation, the main driver is an inability to afford housing, and America is not even particularly close to the worst.

The UK holds that ignominious title, with an astonishing one in 200 households living in emergency lodging outside the formal housing sector.

 

This is yet another damning  indictment of this rotten Tory government

[Baron99]

I'm sure when the food bank phenomenon started there were checks on just who were using them /  referrals from other agencies to confirm that people were genuinely eligible & not just pulling a fast one. 

 

Then more & more started to spring up & it's become a free for all by the looks of things.  The last time I saw one a few months ago, it was either on Calendar or Look North, people paid £5 & could take £30 of food, no questions asked apparently.  My first thought, my wife & I aught to get ourselves down there.  Maybe we could drive in after work?  I'm all for a bargain, especially as 'No questions are asked'. 

 

I'm not saying that there isn't a need for food & they are a possible lifeline to some, especially pensioners in Winter but I'd say the majority are milking the system as usual. 

 

I've even seen a news report of a NHS nurse stating that she was forced to use a food bank.  Really?  Qualified nurse, starting gross salary around the £28k mark.  My reaction.  You're living above you means live if you need a food bank.  Get rid of your fancy mobile, Internet, Netflix, etc & get your priorities right. 

 

As for baby banks.  Children aren't fashion accessories.  Work out of you can afford one before having one. 

[PRESLEY]

Food banks come in handy for them who want to go in the boozer seven days a week and smoke their heads off. 

[Mister M]

3 minutes ago, PRESLEY said:

Food banks come in handy for them who want to go in the boozer seven days a week and smoke their heads off. 

Absolutely.

And not to mention the absolute must haves in life: the latest Apple iPhone; a humungous Smart TV and vajazzles.

Edited May 17 by Mister M