Food Banks

Yet it has been said some nurses and police officers use food banks

The Tory myth of the undeserving poor is one of the major causes.

Remember how we were sold the tasteless lie of those on benefits turning over in bed as hard working families trog to do a days work for a days pay?

Well even that isn't true. Scrupulous employers paying poverty wages, are the cause of hard working families resorting to food banks and the Tory government aiding and abetting them by freezing/cutting crucial benefits.

It is immoral, embarrassing, and a national scandal that the wealthy continue on their merry way accumulating more and more wealth by walking on the backs of the poor.

It has indeed been said, Annie, but I fail to see the point of your comment.

After reading this report and one published last year. I rather suspect that this is another of those urban myths, or rather one spread deliberately, to support pay claims. (I am making no judgement on the rights and wrongs of any pay claim because I do not know what they are).

I prefer solidly based research to claims, rarely, if ever supported

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38052684

What happened there?

....by individuals in those professions identifying themselves as having received this help.

How many families have suffered during the time of austerity.

How many people have sought to find excuses or to refute the fact that these families exist?

The kindest thing you can say about those in denial is that they can claim ignorance.

I have never read or heard anyone deny there are people in much need. To claim nurses and police officers are in the same need is using the poorest people to get a pay rise

Why on earth are we re-running the dispute about whether or not some nurses had been referred to food banks? It ran and ran last time...

It rather deflects from the main thrust of today's report. Which is about desperate poverty in the 6th largest economy in the world.

annie your arguments are hollow and indeed your attempt at deflection is simply playing the Tory game.

They will no longer wash

No argument , just anger that the food banks and those who need them are being used by people in employment,not on benefits or mentally ill or unemployed , but in employment to get pay rises .

But most people "on benefits" (ie in receipt of tax credits) are employed.

Annie FYI

Nurses basic wage. £21,692.00
Tax Free Allowance. £11,500
Total Taxable£10,192.00
Income Tax Paid£2,038.40
National Insurance£1,623.36
Total Deductions£3,661.76
Net Wage £18,030.25
Pension contributions 1081.80

Annual home pay £16948.20
Monthly take home pay £1412.36

Average rents round here £900 a month. Gas, electricity, food, travel to and from work, telephone and broadband. And what if the nurse is the wage earner, a one-parent family? School meals, children's clothes.

Not everyone lives 'around here' where ever 'around here ' is

You've forgotten NMC registration - £120pa.
What about council tax? £100+(?)pm.

That's not an untypical rent.

No, but we need nurses 'round here' Anniebach too. So they have to live 'round here' and even 'round there'

I see you don't believe that nurses can be caught in the poverty trap too. And do you know that your government plans to take away their grant so we can now add in repayment if student loans to the budget above.

Sorry daphnedill - so rather than overstating my case I was understating it.

The people at the lower end of the pay scale in these public sector jobs are not on big money at all - same as many of them in other jobs - this is the disgrace that anyone working in a full time job cannot in many instances earn enough to support a family without help. Prices going up and no pay rise at all for 7 years must make life very difficult. Most people tend need to utilise most of their income on rent and food etc and live to their salary level - no rise makes it hard.
This fact that working people need to resort to benefits in large numbers is a disgrace in a 'rich' country. Something is terribly wrong when it has got to this state.

My government? You are mistaken - our government, or the government, no matter if we didn't vote for them the majority did .

annie deflection.

I'd rather talk about how the wealth is divided in this country.

Those on poverty wages are contributing just as much to this country as those higher up the income scale with their labour. It is utterly disgusting that they are being exploited as they are, in order to ensure greater and greater wealth is being accumulated by the wealthy.

The majority did not vote for this government. The majority voted for other parties.

Did you see the programme last night about the landlords? Very interesting !

Sorry that was a bit of a distraction although I suppose the cost of rent is relevant.

I think maybe some areas in the country have & need more food banks than others i.e. Larger population. Less jobs etc etc. I believe you have to show proof of income etc & have ID this is certainly the case where I live, & there are always people who take advantage, a retired couple well known in our area who have bus passes, live in a rural area but have a taxi to the local food bank stock up & taxi home not a cheap fare, but they are quids in , it is these people who give the genuine a bad name .