Food Banks and Poverty- was Nye right?

Tooting29
I can tell stories of lives turned around and the key factor for all of them is a voluntary agency that addresses housing, medical, safety, budgeting and social needs (amongst others), acts as an advocate and liaises with all the necessary statutory agencies for a period of at least two years.

For example: Client 1 - long term rough sleeper:
Worked in factories until the age of fifty. Partner, mother, then father all died in quick succession immediately prior to client becoming redundant. Client accrued funeral debts that he was unable to furnish and was evicted due to rent arrears. Now has no home, no benefits, unpayable debts and is severely depressed. Became homeless and began to drink. After 10 years of rough sleeping he is extremely ill and after being bullied and assaulted (very small emaciated man) he moves to a safer town. Local voluntary agency spends 4 months getting to know him and become trusted. The agency then works with local council and DWP to get client supported housing. Agency works with the man 2 or 3 times weekly for two years, then once weekly for a further year. During this period they offer budgeting help, ensure bills are paid, medical treatment is accessed etc. Four years after arriving in the town the client is sustaining his tenancy, has paid off debts (with help from agency applying for grants), is healthier and is now volunteering in the community.

With sustained support for a minimum of up to two years I believe almost everyone can be rehabilitated (the exception being people with enduring, untreated mental illness) and become useful members of society. I believe it because I see it happening all the time. People who have had tragic childhoods that then lead to dysfunctional adulthood can have their lives turned around if the appropriate help is offered for a significant period of time.

Unfortunately there are very, very few charities that can offer the wrap-around care that is needed unless they receive government funding.

Please share more if you feel able. I find your posts so inspiring grannyactivist. So interesting.

Growstuff, I’ve just returned from a country walk to find your posts addressed to me. I do know benefit fraud occurs and in reality I expect you know too. If you believe there is no benefit fraud, perhaps you could supply evidence of that.
As I stated before, I wrote a well balanced post. I mentioned the need for benefits and I mentioned benefit fraud. If you don’t like the negative side of the balance, I suggest the problem is yours. There is a need for benefits for people who are unable to work and for people who have unfortunately fallen on difficult times ie being made redundant. There is also benefit fraud, it exists.

grannyA, this was great news to hear but it not help that is avaliable nationwide. It maybe available to say people living around Bristol centre (don't know if it is) but how about the people living in my town, 16 miles away and having to pay bus fares to access it. Sadly this needs funding and where would that come from?

Growstuff: you are, by your own account, in difficult circumstances. However, it doesn’t mean that others do not have a valid viewpoint looking inwards. I too have had many hard times, such as when pregnant with my second child we had no money for the electric key meter - so my husband went and did an odd job for someone and earned £3. We grew vegetables in our garden (and the pinched the odd turnip and parsnip from nearby fields) ate rabbit and free game. I took in ironing and did other odd jobs as I could whilst my children were small and returned to work full time ( as I could at tha time demand a higher salary than my husband) when the youngest started school. He changed jobs and took reduced hours to be there when the children came home from school. We had no holidays for 11 years and only Sun holidays for a few years after. We did everything we could to work our way into a secure position and after 28 years have achieved that. I still work full time, I volunteer in the community, my husband still works 6 days a week in two jobs, we still grow food and still save carefully. Both children have been in continual work since leaving education and now both earn slightly above average salaries. They do not expect the bank of mum and dad. Other than child benefit nothing has ever been claimed from the state. I say that with gratitude for good fortune smiling upon us, not in righteousness.
However, it would have been easy to have taken a different path by not taking responsibility and doing all we could to improve our lot.
That’s why I support those that can work being strongly encouraged to do so.

I mentioned benefit fraud in my post because I know benefit fraud happens. But if you properly read my post, I also mentioned the importance of benefits to those in need. I wrote a balanced post, you chose to focus only on one thing in the post.

So if we consider all benefits, the largest of which is the State Pension, as 100% what proportion of that is benefit fraud? Because if it is, say 25%, then we should be spending 25% of our time discussing it not 50% in order that fraud and necessity are treated equally. 50/50 would not be a balance. How much time should we be spending worrying about benefit fraud?

So does massive corruption in the financial and business sector, but that sort of news is often consigned to the back pages of the business news - as happened recently. Government ineptitude, such as has just occurred with the publication of private addresses and other information of those who received honours, is suggested will cost the government, via taxpayers, millions of pounds in compensation.

Much easier and quicker to despise somebody who has the temerity to own a dog, smoke, have false nails or a big TV.

Gracegran , a correction, the State pensions are NOT a benefit, they are earned by paying into the system. If you mean pension credit then that IS a benefit and is means tested

inkycog

In answer to your questions....
No I don’t know anyone who claims UC.

I gave up work along with most women of my generation, when I had children.

My husband was never unemployed. My son was made redundant a few years ago, but found another job within two weeks. The others have been in constant work. None of us have ever been on benefits.

Like I said, the Welfare State is essential for those who really are unable to work, but I do struggle to understand why so many rely on it.

Yes I do realise there are many reasons which contribute to someone being temporarily incapacitated but it’s the sheer number of claimants that I am suspicious of.

Grannyactivist you give me hope.

ExperiencednotOld you fill me full of dread
However, it would have been easy to have taken a different path by not taking responsibility and doing all we could to improve our lot.
I am sure we are all glad these experiences didn't break you but it is the sheer conceit that says you are superior, or your word in your words, responsible because you are too blind to see that what doesn't break you may break another person and given their burden it may have broken you. Your replies make me want to weep. You must feel very lonely in that ivory tower.

I gave up work along with most women of my generation, when I had children

So presumably it is quite some time since you were seeking employment and you have never needed benefit? Where do you find your detailed information from?

jennifereccles the welfare state is NOT just for those unable to work.

State Pension is a benefit.
Child Benefit is a benefit.
Tax Credits are a benefit.
Universal Credit is a benefit and is claimed by many working people.
PIP/DLA is a benefit which can be claimed by working people.
Carer's Allowance is a benefit.

And so on.

I wish some people would understand that what has happened is that the jobs created to cut the unemployment figures are not in fact jobs which pay enough to live on but are low paid ones which rely on UC to top them up. People on benefits are no longer the lazy stay at home image that was once projected (although it probably wan't true), they are the young couple with a child who work as many hours as they can but still can't afford rent, food, power and other costs because they are on minimum wage.

Please will people stop saying State Pension is a benefit. IT IS NOT IT IS EARNED. Pension credit is a benefit means tested.

When the government quote the cost of benefits, the figures that get half the people on this thread in a 'paddy', they include State Pensions and that is moving towards 50% of the whole benefits bill. Look it up before you make assumptions Barmeyoldbat.

This is a pie chart for 2015/16 (click on it to enlarge it). If you look around for a later one you may find it. If you really don't believe that it is a benefit ring the DWP and ask them.

Please will people stop saying State Pension is a benefit. IT IS NOT IT IS EARNED. Pension credit is a benefit means tested.

Pension credit is indeed a means-tested benefit but that doesn't stop pensions being a benefit. How is it "earned" BoB? Why can the government decide how much to put it up or not put it up? Why do you so desperately need it not to be a benefit?

JenniferEccles are you truly saying you have never gone out to work? How old are you to be part of a whole generation who didn't? I don't believe that has ever existed.

I imagine, if you have never worked, you truly would struggle to "to understand why so many rely on it." Lucky you if you have been kept all your life, I suppose.

Trisher I have a feeling some of our "older ladies" are a long way from knowing what jobs have ever been like, let alone understanding how much things have changed.

Right, time to draw a line under this. Nobody is ever going to be interested in my tales of people without shoes or people who have made a mistake and their life has spiralled out of control or people who ran for their lives, pitched up here and were treated like absolute scum.

If you have a certain mindset, that's it , it's formed and it will remain unchallenged.

GGMK3 - circumstance is what makes any of us. We are formed by our experience. All I’ve done is support the old fashioned notion of self responsibility through hard work. I really do not understand why that fills you with dread. If you bothered to properly read what’s been written rather than flying off half-cocked (look it up to see why I’ve chosen this expression) you’ll see that I expressed gratitude for my fortunate outcome. You’re full of damnation for the opinion of others justified as formed by circumstance/experience but I see very little posted to support your own. Just why is it you’re so uppity with multiple posters?

Pension is not earned. It is an expectation connected to our working life contribution to ‘National Insurance’ scheme. Our payment this week pays next week’ recipients. Other than requiring a minimum contribution for a full pension these no ‘earned’ about it.

Barmeyoldbat State Pensions are described as a benefit by the DWP.
It has been so for very many years, annoying but that's how it is.

Yes I worked until I had my first child then I gave up to look after him.

I didn’t want my children brought up by a childminder or a nursery. It was a struggle especially as we had two mortgages but we managed.

So how old were they when you returned to work to help pay these mortgages JE? They must have left the childminder or nursery stage at some point.

Don't answer. It's none of my business.