Too poor to eat properly

paddyann
How did people manage to seek out and apply for jobs pre internet era, or at least, before every man and his dog had a laptop + smart phone?
They went to libraries when pcs became available but now, it's not good enough for 'the poorest in society' or those on very limited incomes to have a basic phone. The vast majority have iPhones which have vastly inflated monthly plans.
That means having home broadband and many have Sky/Netflix to 'keep the kids amused' while mum does... what?
Granted, there are exceptions but I challenge anyone to prove that the majority are poor and have none of the above. Many will be smokers, some routinely buy 6 packs along with the chicken nuggets and fizzy drinks. I recently sat having a coffee in a well known town not a million miles away from home and saw mums with buggies and toddlers, exiting Primark, loaded...and I mean 2 bags full. This was midweek and some had lads with them who were obviously not working.
They were certainly not going short if the clothes, make-up and nails were anything to go by.
Yes, you may well disagree and say they might be married but I doubt it. They may have jobs...I doubt it. You can see this any day of the week as the all seem to shop and congregate in the malls.
Taxpayers money or not?
Help should be there for those who want to help themselves, but not to live a lifestyle on taxpayers money.

Same for me Phoebles, can’t Believe what is happening, and the smug self righteousness of some of the posters is
downright disgusting.

I feel so ashamed that this country has fallen to such depths. There doesn’t seem to be any one with compassion and/or common sense in charge. Everyone in the government (all parties) is so preoccuoied with Brexit that they have forgotten that they are supposed to be governing the country. Everything seems to be based on greed these days and nobody seems inclined to sort it out and give proper help to people who are really struggling. It’s I’m alright, Jack all the way. Don’t get me started on sorting out the homeless problem!

I couldn't agree more with quizqueen's comments.
Straight to the point but there will be many who don't want to swallow such a bitter pill.
No-one ever got better by eating sweets.

Isn't child benefit given so a child doesn't have to starve, if the amount received is actually spent on the child, that is !

The Secret Millionaires are usually shocked when they have to live on a normal wage, just for a week.

margs - "The grand architect of Universal Credit, Iain Duncan-Smith, once notoriously claimed he could very well live on £53.00p per week - what on earth was he trying to tell those who actually have to?
So, come one Duncy - you said that some years ago but have you not got around to doing it yet?"

Yes, anyone could live very well on £53.00 a week. For one week. It's when they're living on that amount every week of the year, and the kids needs new shoes, and school uniform, and the cooker breaks down, etc etc etc

When these politicians step up and actually live on these amounts for a year, THEN I will listen to them. But not when they only do it for one week.

My DD is teacher in a secondary school she has been teaching for over 16 years her subject is health and food technology what was known as home economic she tells me how much the children love it and some still go on to take GCSE and higher qualifications in it however due to the national curriculum it is consistently downgraded as a subject and given less time and priority on the timetable most pupils are lucky to be given the opportunity to access the subject one half term a year and most lessons last no longer than one hour not long enough to cook and prepare a lot of dishes where as I remember a whole day or half day been allocated to the subject

I was talking to an elderly gentleman the other day who was telling me about his enjoyable childhood. Telling remark I thought was “we didn’t know we were poor till somebody told us” ...

Probably his parents, particularly his mother, were well aware that they were poor.

www.persephonebooks.co.uk/round-about-a-pound-a-week.html

'Round About A Pound A Week' was written in the early 1900's.
It was found that at very low levels of income, people didn't have the motivation to make economical meals, even if it were possible. They wanted to eat bread and jam with tea.

Also because of low income, they had to buy small amounts of everything even though it works out dearer in the long run.

I read recently that food banks do 'cold' parcels for those who have no way to heat food or can't afford the fuel.

Heartbreaking this should be happening in this wealthy country.
The waste of money spent on politicians getting subsidies meals and alcohol and the poor with no money.

I was talking to an elderly gentleman the other day who was telling me about his enjoyable childhood. Telling remark I thought was “we didn’t know we were poor till somebody told us” ...

The job centre has info about food banks, alongside what else you can do when you have no money.

Someone asked about food bank access.

Normally the claimant will get a voucher from an organisation like an Advice Centre given after some enquiries as to why they need it, though usually the need will be obvious if the person has been helped with advice about benefits which have not come through or been stopped, or some other change of circumstances. Usually a claimant will only be given three vouchers ( one at a time ) and they will be given food for three days for the required number of people. The type of food will depend whether they have cooking facilities or just a kettle.
Yes, there may be some who may abuse the system. The food bank will have its own rules as well. But in general they are there to help, not to judge .

As well as a trip to the food bank why not go to the market at the end of the day to pick up cheap fruit and veg?
Our nearest market is about 20 miles away, so that would be difficult for someone with small children to reach after school and the cost of using the bus would probably be prohibitive.

I'm not saying I need to do that (thank goodness) but I can see the difficulties it would present.

I so love my slow cooker wouldn't be without it. Often find I have cooked far too much so I freeze the remainder for another day.
Lisaholder - me too - but if you can't afford a slow cooker and a freezer it's impossible to do that.

My lovely Mum was an absolutely hopeless cook, but I learned to cook at school in Domestic Science lessons. Sadly, DS was subsumed into "Science, Design & Technology" and children were more likely to be designing "an energy bar" not only the ingredients but also the wrapper and advertising campaign (according to a friend of mine who was a cookery teacher) - thank you Mrs Thatcher for trying to make us all Entrepreneurs and forgetting that lots of us need to learn the basics of cooking. We have brought up a whole generation who haven't got a clue how to make even a basic meal (a lot of them think that making toast is cooking!) We need to put proper cookery lessons, from the basics, back into schools for those who can't learn it from their parents (who didn't learn it themselves). Until we do this, we will have yet another generation dependent on chill-cook or frozen meals.

People have explained how they work.
I haven't used one, but there is plenty of info around.

I am just wondering how these food banks work.
JenniferEccles No-one can just 'walk in off the street' and ask for food; people have to be be recommended by Social Services or their GP I believe.

Lack of reasonably priced social housing and high rents in the private sector contribute to the problems.

I actually donated to Marys Meals at Christmas, so I dont need to go and take a look.
Very worthwhile cause.

Really JenniferEccles? Your wondering? Have you been on another planet the last five years?

Shame some on here are not more compassionate. God forbid misfortune should fall on you.

Just heard on the news Amber Rudd is going to make some changes to UC to be more compassionate, General election coming up?

Quiz Queen I fully agree with you.

I suggest that those who think they are poor take a look at a charity called Mary's Meals. They are feeding really poor people. I prefer to support them and refuse to give to food banks.

Anja I have lived in Bootle for 28 years and spent the first 22 working for Sefton MBC which became One Vision Housing. Bootle is not all sink estates, we have a lovely home in a quiet cul de sac and a former council building nearby has been turned into luxury flats.