Food Banks

Food banks

Food Banks are very Controversial some say they are necessity other say they are not needed. One thing is for sure if something is free people will use it. Now I have no personal experience of Food Banks but I do know 3 people who have used them.

About a year ago two of my tenants were unemployed and claiming benefit for some reason or other their benefit was suspended because it was being changed to something different. They were then told to go to the Food bank and claim food, which they did. Both had a box of groceries delivered to them with £40 worth of goods in each box and one of them was given £20 towards his electric bill.

Yet no one checked if they had money in the bank, food in their flats which they both had and what was more after two weeks their benefit was reinstated and back dated. So surely before someone is a participant in Food Banks there should be checks, balances and advice on how to manage their finances.

You have to admit there is something wrong with the system

Recently another tenant was laid of work his work is of a seasonal type, within 2 weeks he was given help by the Food Banks because his benefit had not come through but will come through.

Can someone tell me if people who use food banks are checked or are just turn up and you will get served?

Food Banks along with soup kitchens are a life line for the genuine homeless and it seems a disgrace to me that Billions can be spent on foreign aid yet we still have homeless in GB

Now before you start to tell me I do not know what the unemployed have to put up with, you would be wrong I rent Flats and bedsits to single men several who unemployed or are on state pension. They all get housing benefit and percentage of Council Tax paid that leaves them approx. £70 per week for food not a great deal but by being frugal they can survive with all their benefits that is about £200 per week a good incentive to get back to work. Pensioners are slightly better off as the average pension is about £116 per week’

When I was in my twenties I worked as a Judo Coach for 40 weeks of the Year for KEC the Inland revenue decide that what I earned in 40 weeks was my Annual income so I was not entitled to Dole money when I was not working. So I spread my money over 52 weeks and I can assure you the only benefit we were entitled to was Child Allowance. My point is why do people not plan ahead especially if they know they will be unemployed for a certain time of the year