More than half of people driven by acute poverty to apply for emergency food aid are there because of delays, sudden cuts or sanctions imposed on welfare payments, according to new research The Trussell Trusts findings are a direct challenge to the coalition governments insistence that the meteoric rise in the numbers of food bank users is unconnected to the cuts to the social security system, and is only linked to the growth in provision. The charity, which runs the countrys largest network of food banks, analysed more than 900 different users at a range of facilities across the country, as well as conducting 40 more in-depth interviews and 178 different caseloads from people accessing one of their advice services. uk food bank A Stuart Little volunteer packs food at a food bank Up to two-thirds of those analysed by the study, which was commissioned by the charity along with the Church of England, Oxfam and the Child Poverty Action Group, said they were waiting for their benefits which had been delayed, because they had been sanctioned by jobcentres or because they had been suddenly hit by the so-called bedroom tax. “The promise of a social security safety net that is there to protect people at times of crisis is something that can, and must be, preserved and protected. Food banks, whilst providing a vital and welcoming lifeline to many, should not become a readily accepted part of that formal provision,“ the study says. The Trust has handed out food parcels to at least 913,000 people from 2013-2014, a threefold increase. The Trust says those figures are a low estimate for the numbers suffering from acute personal finance crisis, many more are likely to be relying on help from friends or neighbours. Conservative ministers have consistently denied the link between welfare cuts and food bank use. Work and Pensions minister said earlier this year that there was actually no evidence as to whether the use of food banks is supply led or demand led. Food from a food bank—the supply—is a free good, and by definition there is an almost infinite demand for a free good, he told the House of Commons. Chief Whip Michael Gove has also been criticised for suggesting poor financial management was the reason people used food banks, a claim echoed by former minister Edwina Currie. The Department for Work and Pensions said that todays research itself concludes it can’t ‘prove anything’ – it uses self-selecting data and recognises there are complex underlying issues. “We have a strong safety net in place, spending £94bn a year on working age benefits, and we provide a wide range of advice and assistance for anyone in need of additional support.” The Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun, who was at the launch of the report at the House of Commons, dismissed the DWPs response, saying they needed to actually read the report. And David McAuley, chief executive of Trussell Trust, said DWP junior minister Steve Webb had pulled out of attending the launch at the last minute. “They absolutely do not want to hear the story, he said.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 06:45:39 +0000
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