Food-banks Options

[Petra]

Here is a teaser for you all to answer. Are food banks necessary or just an instrument of abuse? And are people really suffering or just bad at managing their money? Or just very clever?
Food banks are now everywhere, which means that people who are short of money can redirect what they have got (to smart phones, satellite TV etc.) and away from the essentials (such as food) because food-banks supplies that need.

It will be interesting to see how people will come back on this one.

Yours,

Petra

[On the edge]

Yes we could scrap the welfare state completely, after all, it's only been in existence for around 70 years, so it's not that old. Our grandparents demonstrably managed or we wouldn't be here today. There was some basic state aid, given on the basis that HeatherW suggests, robust means testing and training. Often delivered on a residential basis, in what were called work houses. As far as I can make out, no one then moaned about such things as bedroom taxes etc. They still had the 'do gooders'' like George Peabody and Doc Banardo, but you'll always get interfearers. Apparently a young Clem Attlee only became a socialist because the 'do gooder' he was helping in the East End used to deliberately burn the 'free' breakfast porridge they doled out to paupers in an attempt to discourage them. So be careful what you wish for, Corbyn is bad enough, we don't want another Attlee!

[GMR]

Yes we could scrap the welfare state completely, after all, it's only been in existence for around 70 years, so it's not that old. Our grandparents demonstrably managed or we wouldn't be here today. There was some basic state aid, given on the basis that HeatherW suggests, robust means testing and training. Often delivered on a residential basis, in what were called work houses. As far as I can make out, no one then moaned about such things as bedroom taxes etc. They still had the 'do gooders'' like George Peabody and Doc Banardo, but you'll always get interfearers. Apparently a young Clem Attlee only became a socialist because the 'do gooder' he was helping in the East End used to deliberately burn the 'free' breakfast porridge they doled out to paupers in an attempt to discourage them. So be careful what you wish for, Corbyn is bad enough, we don't want another Attlee!

Why would you want to scrap the Welfare state when someone questions food banks? This debate has nothing to do with the welfare state or wishes for it to be scrapped.

[On the edge]

Why would you want to scrap the Welfare state when someone questions food banks? This debate has nothing to do with the welfare state or wishes for it to be scrapped.

The whole tenor of the original post and the supporters of the proposition can be construed as an attack on the welfare state; or that some of the recipients are scroungers. Arguably, criticising food banks as a concept is pretty odd anyway, given that it's a charity and has no call on the public purse. The people who run and support the foodbanks are really the only ones with any real right to decide who gets the benefit.

[GMR]

The whole tenor of the original post and the supporters of the proposition can be construed as an attack on the welfare state; or that some of the recipients are scroungers. Arguably, criticising food banks as a concept is pretty odd anyway, given that it's a charity and has no call on the public purse. The people who run and support the foodbanks are really the only ones with any real right to decide who gets the benefit.

Oh, I agree, whether it is being taken advantage of or not. As you said, and Petra said, it is not the tax payer footing the bill so it doesn't really matter.