More corruption

I have been absent for a long time - I found the sheer self righteousness of some posters too much to stomach. I am pleasantly surprised by the understanding and anger shown on this post at these photos. They are indeed all over twitter! From many different people. Variable levels of awfulness - but all awful. It is nothing short of corruption and profiteering. The majority of people who need these are pretty decent people that life has thrown a curveball at. My own daughter has been a recipient of the vouchers. If not for us she would have been using foodbanks. Her business folded at the start of the pandemic. He partners new job didn't start and he has been working through an agency - and its a bit sporadic. The vouchers have been quite lierally a life saver at times.

Some people claim ESA and PIP when they're not really ill or disabled. Does that mean that no one should get ESA and PIP? You can't penalise the many for the sins of the few.

The vouchers could not be spent on alcohol or drugs. They had to be spent on food at certain supermarkets. Poor parents care just as much about feeding their children as more affluent parents do.

The problem with hampers is that they can't take into account things like a child having a condition that means they can't eat particular foods. I read an account of a child with ASD who was so upset at having to eat soup with 'lumps' in it that he was hysterical and ended up being sick. Another child is unable to tolerate gluten, but the hamper contained no gluten-free foods. I have no reason to assume that these were not true stories (they were on a FB thread which wasn't intended to be public), but even if they aren't, the examples highlight the way in which vouchers would be a much better idea. On the FB thread I read, several young mothers were saying that they could get ten times as much for £30 by shopping at Aldi, and that the 'fresh' items would be a lot fresher.

I really feel strongly that this should be properly and impartially investigated, and that if it is found that these companies are creaming off funds they should be prosecuted and wrongdoers jailed. I also feel very strongly that there should be an immediate stop to any government contracts being awarded without tender and absolute transparency. This is a national disgrace, and if it goes unpunished there is really no hope of our society getting to any semblance of fairness.

M0nica

*Ilovecheese*, unless all those in need and poverty are quite exceptionally virtuous, there will be some households, not many, who will redirect any money coming into the house to supporting their addicition; whether that be drugs, alcohol, gambling or being forced to give it to others.

I am and always been a very light drinker, I have never taken drugs nor do I gamble or force other family members to give me all their money, yet I can still see this.

However, we don't normally set our laws and rules for the very small minority although to read some posts - not especially on here - you would thing this is being done because a majority behave this way.

You are right to point out that is does happen but sadly there will always be some who do not read the words "there will be some households, not many," and will go on vilifying all those our state does not properly provide for.

These arguments must have been aired when the debate was about child allowance, but wiser policies prevailed.

Those politicians would never ever have given a single thought to giving the money to donators to their party, in order to make a profit on child hunger or the tax payer.

They stood head and shoulders above what we currently have.

This cronyism and corruption will be the scandal of the decade when history is written.

No, of course it wouldn't. But it will still happen in some cases.

YesMOnica I am sure that is true, but would it really be your first thought, and for that reason not give any parents their own choices?

Ilovecheese, unless all those in need and poverty are quite exceptionally virtuous, there will be some households, not many, who will redirect any money coming into the house to supporting their addicition; whether that be drugs, alcohol, gambling or being forced to give it to others.

I am and always been a very light drinker, I have never taken drugs nor do I gamble or force other family members to give me all their money, yet I can still see this.

I agree PippaZ why would anyone imagine that parents would spend money on booze instead of food unless they had considered doing so themselves.

Maizie Fecklessness is not a class or money related problem. It can be found across society.

Some years ago, when I was working I did some research into households using prepayment meters to pay for gas and electricity.

Among them I found a substantial group of affluent households using them including accountants and solicitors. These families were feckless with money, spent on impulse, up to their ears in debt and couldnt cope with Direct Debits because they were often not paid because they were over their overdraft limit. They had poor credit scores. They didn't lead lives of great luxury, just total chaos.

Fecklessness is certainly not limited to the poor.

We are all tax payers and we, certainly during times like this, can fall into poverty. Those already on poverty wages have no cushion when they lose their job but that doesn't make them bad or untrustworthy.

I can think of quite a few who are/would be untrustworthy though as very often people expect the behaviour of others to be like their own. So those expecting these people to take the food out of their children's mouths if they are give money, well you have to ask why they would suspect unknown people of such behaviour, don't you?

M0nica Tue 12-Jan-21 12:16:22

Quite right Monica. The Tories have fallen foul of their own propaganda. This country has people who, like Trumps followers, believe the spin and lies that tells them the people's poverty is all their own fault and they are not to be trusted. Disgusting.

Amazon?

What a sad thought that is...

If I received a box like the one in the picture, the only thing I would eat would be the cheese, the apples, the satsuma and the carrots. The rest would go in the bin or to the foodbank.

lemongrove

I saw the food parcels for those shielding, and actually they were very good, nothing like the pic in the OP.

I think they were variable, so maybe there's a problem with quality control. I saw some posts from people who don't usually moan.

Eviebeanz

Isn't this time for a new company/companies to fill the gap? I really like the idea of food boxes being delivered to people's homes - with realistic amounts of proper food that meet the needs of the recipients. That would save parents needing to go out with their children to spend the vouchers - would avoid unnecessary contacts and transport costs...

Amazon?

I saw the food parcels for those shielding, and actually they were very good, nothing like the pic in the OP.

lemongrove

I think vouchers to spend in the supermarket are preferable, but times aren’t normal.Since tax payers are funding the boxes they must honestly contain £30 worth of goods, otherwise Chartwells are simply making money from them (over and above whatever they are legally making,)

My local foodbank is supplementing the government's "hampers", but people shouldn't have to rely on charity. We don't have many children receiving FSM, but some areas have hundreds or thousands.

I have seen a sign in our local Iceland store that vouchers cannot be used to buy alcohol - I absolutely don't think that this means that many of the people who receive the vouchers have tried to do that

lemongrove

Blossoming

That is not even the worst example. One such parcel contained half a tomato. Sorry kid, you’re not worth a whole tomato,make that last a week and be grateful.

First of all....are we absolutely sure the food delivered is as in the pic shown?
Secondly, during this crisis with children at home for meals it seems the government wants to make sure that (overall) healthy food is delivered.
The company concerned Chartwells is a provider of school meals normally.
IF it can be proven that the boxes contain such measly amounts then of course the Company should be taken to task.

The first picture is supposedly for ten lunches. I guess it's nutritious for somebody who wants to lose weight.

Yes, I think there's enough evidence that the pictures are genuine. The same thing happened with some of the parcels for people who were shielding and for students in halls of residence.

I think vouchers to spend in the supermarket are preferable, but times aren’t normal.Since tax payers are funding the boxes they must honestly contain £30 worth of goods, otherwise Chartwells are simply making money from them (over and above whatever they are legally making,)

Oopsadaisy1

This was reported by the Daily Mail....... are we now believing someone who tweets a photo and calls the DM ?

However it is being looked into by an MP. So if it’s true it should be sorted.

It's not just in the DM. There are loads of photos on Twitter.

Dorsetcupcake61

To me it feels mean and spiteful,as if they have been forced to provide these meals and want to make it as dismal an experience as possible. It's probably not that. Just providing minimum possible for maximum profit to company.
I dont know if free school meals in general have improved. When my daughters were at school in the late 1990s they were envious of friends who got them as they were full of highly processed junk and sugar!

Until six years ago, I was an expert on school meals, as I did a stint as a supply teacher after "retirement". I can honestly say that school meals are generally still awful, but they're very variable. The two best schools I knew had won the contracts to supply their own food.

Isn't this time for a new company/companies to fill the gap? I really like the idea of food boxes being delivered to people's homes - with realistic amounts of proper food that meet the needs of the recipients. That would save parents needing to go out with their children to spend the vouchers - would avoid unnecessary contacts and transport costs...

If Chartwells are really doing this ( or their employees pilfering) then it needs sorting out asap.