Charities Condemn IDS for FoodBank Snub

Charities condemn Iain Duncan Smith for food bank snub
Requests for meetings with work and pensions secretary to discuss growing crisis have been refused

   Toby Helm, political editor
   The Observer, Saturday 21 December 2013 19.32 GMT

Iain Duncan Smith, the embattled work and pensions secretary, is refusing to meet leaders of the rapidly expanding Christian charity that has set up more than 400 food banks across the UK, claiming it is "scaremongering" and has a clear political agenda.

The news will fuel a growing row over food poverty, as church leaders and the Labour party accuse ministers of failing to recognise the growing crisis hitting hundreds of thousands of families whose incomes are being squeezed, while food prices soar.

Responding to requests for a meeting from Chris Mould, chairman of the Trussell Trust, which has provided food supplies to more than 500,000 people since April, Duncan Smith has dismissed claims that the problems are linked to welfare reforms and attacked the charity for publicity-seeking. In his most recent response on 22 November, Duncan Smith made clear that he had received enough letters from the trust and referred Mould to his previous answers. His deputy, Lord Freud, the minister for welfare reform, also explicitly rejected an invitation for talks on 30 August, telling the trust's chairman that he was "unable to take up your offer of a meeting".

Mould, whose organisation is struggling to keep up with ever-increasing demand for its services, said that he and his army of volunteers could not understand why ministers were refusing to listen to their suggestions for easing the plight of the hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need.

"To them, it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense to me either. We are deeply disappointed, but we are as open as ever to meet ministers in the hope that perhaps the new year will bring a fresh approach to what could so easily have been a fruitful dialogue." Mould also told Duncan Smith he is not opposed, for political reasons, to welfare reform.

In 2010, the Trussell Trust provided food to around 41,000 people, but in the past eight months the number has increased to more than half a million, a third of whom are children.

Mould first wrote to Duncan Smith in June, saying that many of the problems people were facing could be tracked back to changes in their benefits, and to delays in the payment of them.

Duncan Smith began his reply by criticising the "political messaging of your organisation", which "despite claiming to be nonpartisan" had "repeatedly sought to link the growth in your network to welfare reform". He said his department's record in processing benefit claims had improved and should do so further with the introduction of universal credit.

He rejected any suggestion that the government was to blame. "I strongly refute this claim and would politely ask you to stop scaremongering in this way. I understand that a feature of your business model must require you to continuously achieve publicity, but I'm concerned that you are now seeking to do this by making your political opposition to welfare reform overtly clear."

The standoff will further anger church leaders who were incensed by reports last week that the government had turned down a potential pot of £22m of EU funding for food banks, on the grounds that the UK did not want to be told by Brussels how to spend money for European structural funds.

Last week, in a Commons debate on food poverty, Conservative MPs recognised the gravity of the situation. Steve Baker, the Tory MP for Wycombe, said it was a "scandalous indictment of the safety net that is the welfare state" that so many people could be left hungry. "Some 12,000 children in Buckinghamshire live in income poverty and one in five children in Wycombe go to bed hungry – that increases to one in three in some parts of my constituency," he said.

The shadow secretary of state, Rachel Reeves, said: "Iain Duncan Smith should meet with the Trussell Trust and others who are on the frontline of dealing with the growing problem of food poverty in Britain, rather than burying his head in the sand.

"It's David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith's failure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis which has led to half a million people relying on food banks since April this year.

"Under the Tories, it's tax cuts for the rich and food banks for the poor. Only a Labour government would act to freeze energy prices, help more employers to pay a living wage, and expand free childcare to help more parents earn a living for their family."

The Department for Work and Pensions said: "The benefits system supports millions of people who are on low incomes or unemployed and there is no robust evidence that welfare reforms are linked to increased use of food banks. In fact, our welfare reforms will improve the lives of some of the poorest families … with the universal credit making 3m households better off – the majority of these from the bottom two-fifths of the income scale.

"The Trussell Trust itself says it is opening three new food banks every week, so it's not surprising more people are using them. They also agree that awareness has helped to explain their recent growth.

"The government has taken action to help families with the cost of living, including increasing the tax-free personal allowance to £10,000 which will save a typical taxpayer over £700, freezing council tax for five years and freezing fuel duty."

Meanwhile, the number of households living in bed and breakfast accommodation has increased by 124% since 2010, according to figures compiled by Labour from official statistics.

The statistics show that illegal use of B&B accommodation, where families are staying longer than six weeks, has risen by 800%.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/21/iain-duncan-smith-food-banks-charities

Complete arrogance in the face of people suffering.

Carrying on from the the thread of yesterday.

...On the same wavelength   

I would like to pay some surprise visits to the houses of the visitors of food banks to see how much they are really suffering.

BigAndy9 wrote:I would like to pay some surprise visits to the houses of the visitors of food banks to see how much they are really suffering.

Why don't you volunteer then.

BigAndy9 wrote:I would like to pay some surprise visits to the houses of the visitors of food banks to see how much they are really suffering.

Would you, please? Because then you might understand the amount of suffering that is going on. I'd like you to visit lots, and food banks.

Since they done away with crisis loans, I believe that's the real reason for the surge in food banks.

I also believe that if some people weren't so up to their eyes in debt, for unnecessary items and lived within their means, they could well afford to buy their own food.

More than 140,000 Mirror readers demanded a debate in Parliament on the rising use of food banks. (Not really, that was the number that signed the petition on Change.Org)

And today you got one – three hours of argument inside the main chamber at the Commons.

The strength of the petition was cited during the debate by Rachel Reeves MP.

So many Labour MPs were desperate to speak about the plight of their constituents that they had to be limited to four minutes each to speak.

The stories behind the statistics went on for almost three hours.

Parliament heard of children starving in South London, 100,000 kilos of food delivered in Stoke to desperate families, a girl of 15 who arrived at school having eaten nothing between Friday and Monday.

Paul Murphy MP compared the desperate situation in his Welsh valley as being like the days of the Miners’ Strike.

The Mirror has been fighting to get these stories heard by Parliament as part of our Christmas Appeal for The Trussell Trust.

So far, readers have raised £70,000 – but winning a debate was an attempt to also make the Coalition address food poverty.

Today, the Government refused to accept responsibility for the crisis that has seen 500,000 people fed by The Trussell Trust since April – triple the number fed before IDS’s welfare reforms started.

By 80 minutes in, all ministers had left – Esther McVey after giving what Gerald Kaufman called “one of the nastiest frontbench speeches I’ve heard in more than 43 years”.

The Mirror had brought some families who have used food banks to watch the debate. I’m ashamed to report some left early – unable to bear the mocking from the Tory benches.

The Tories offered the same old excuses. How Labour had broken the economy. How families don’t budget properly.

How poor people need food education. Well, it’s hard to make an omelette without any eggs.

After the first hour, Iain Disappearing Smith did a vanishing act. Owen Paterson – Minister for Food, hence food banks – didn’t turn up. Ms McVey’s speech was bullish, but the Government’s actions belies its tough words.

If it knows it is in the right, why run from the debate? If it knows the crisis is nothing to do with the Coalition, why suppress its own report on the issue?

It was a huge victory for Mirror readers. These Tories are desperate not to see food banks on the agenda.

People power pushed the debate to the chamber. And people power will decide the next election.

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/food-bank-debate-victory-getting-2941824#ixzz2o9Bdo1ya
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook


All those stories of what is really happening are now recorded in Hansard, where they will be a permanent record of what this Government has done.

Sassy wrote:More than 140,000 Mirror readers demanded a debate in Parliament on the rising use of food banks. (Not really, that was the number that signed the petition on Change.Org)

And today you got one – three hours of argument inside the main chamber at the Commons.

The strength of the petition was cited during the debate by Rachel Reeves MP.

So many Labour MPs were desperate to speak about the plight of their constituents that they had to be limited to four minutes each to speak.

The stories behind the statistics went on for almost three hours.

Parliament heard of children starving in South London, 100,000 kilos of food delivered in Stoke to desperate families, a girl of 15 who arrived at school having eaten nothing between Friday and Monday.

Paul Murphy MP compared the desperate situation in his Welsh valley as being like the days of the Miners’ Strike.

The Mirror has been fighting to get these stories heard by Parliament as part of our Christmas Appeal for The Trussell Trust.

So far, readers have raised £70,000 – but winning a debate was an attempt to also make the Coalition address food poverty.

Today, the Government refused to accept responsibility for the crisis that has seen 500,000 people fed by The Trussell Trust since April – triple the number fed before IDS’s welfare reforms started.

By 80 minutes in, all ministers had left – Esther McVey after giving what Gerald Kaufman called “one of the nastiest frontbench speeches I’ve heard in more than 43 years”.

The Mirror had brought some families who have used food banks to watch the debate. I’m ashamed to report some left early – unable to bear the mocking from the Tory benches.

The Tories offered the same old excuses. How Labour had broken the economy. How families don’t budget properly.

How poor people need food education. Well, it’s hard to make an omelette without any eggs.

After the first hour, Iain Disappearing Smith did a vanishing act. Owen Paterson – Minister for Food, hence food banks – didn’t turn up. Ms McVey’s speech was bullish, but the Government’s actions belies its tough words.

If it knows it is in the right, why run from the debate? If it knows the crisis is nothing to do with the Coalition, why suppress its own report on the issue?

It was a huge victory for Mirror readers. These Tories are desperate not to see food banks on the agenda.

People power pushed the debate to the chamber. And people power will decide the next election.

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/food-bank-debate-victory-getting-2941824#ixzz2o9Bdo1ya
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook


All those stories of what is really happening are now recorded in Hansard, where they will be a permanent record of what this Government has done.

They should face criminal charges for what they are doing IMO.

I don't think that's possible, but I'd be very happy to put IDS in particular in the stocks and throw rotten eggs at him.

Sassy wrote:I don't think that's possible, but I'd be very happy to put IDS in particular in the stocks and throw rotten eggs at him.

If there was ever an uprising in this country then he would be on the first plane out ASAP...The cowardly custard!

They call him the The Streak, fastest thing on two feet, the Yellow Streak lol

Sassy wrote:They call him the The Streak, fastest thing on two feet, the Yellow Streak lol

He reminds me of that roadrunner cartoon....



  

LOL

Sassy wrote:I don't think that's possible, but I'd be very happy to put IDS in particular in the stocks and throw rotten eggs at him.

That's a waste of eggs - even rotten one's.

In a letter reported by the Observer, IDS also criticised the "political messaging of your organisation", which "despite claiming to be nonpartisan" had "repeatedly sought to link the growth in your network to welfare reform".

The minister continued: "I strongly refute this claim and would politely ask you to stop scaremongering in this way. "I understand that a feature of your business model must require you to continuously achieve publicity, but I'm concerned that you are now seeking to do this by making your political opposition to welfare reform overtly clear."




A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said: "The benefits system supports millions of people who are on low incomes or unemployed and there is no robust evidence that welfare reforms are linked to increased use of food banks. In fact, our welfare reforms will improve the lives of some of the poorest families in our communities with the Universal Credit making three million households better off - the majority of these from the bottom two fifths of the income scale.

"The Trussell Trust itself says it is opening three new foodbanks every week, so it's not surprising more people are using them. They also agree that awareness has helped to explain their recent growth. The Government has taken action to help families with the cost of living, including increasing the tax-free personal allowance to £10,000 which will save a typical taxpayer over £700, freezing council tax for five years and freezing fuel duty."


http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12/21/iain-duncan-smith-trussell-trust-food-bank_n_4486547.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

including increasing the tax-free personal allowance to £10,000 which will save a typical taxpayer over £700, freezing council tax for five years and freezing fuel duty."

that sounds quite reasonable

there is no robust evidence that welfare reforms are linked to increased use of food banks.

Means there is evidence but none we want to admit to in gov't speak (either side)

veya_victaous wrote:

including increasing the tax-free personal allowance to £10,000 which will save a typical taxpayer over £700, freezing council tax for five years and freezing fuel duty."

that sounds quite reasonable

there is no robust evidence that welfare reforms are linked to increased use of food banks.

Means there is evidence but none we want to admit to in gov't speak (either side)

In that case i'm sure sassy and Mr Catman are very keen to show it here on this thread.

Suggest you read the other threads. The Tressell Trust have already done the report that links it.

Real life stories
For Charlotte, the foodbank was a life saver

21 year-old college student Charlotte had not eaten properly for weeks and could not afford gas to heat her flat when she came to the foodbank in January. After leaving state care she was determined to make something of her life and was funding herself through college. Working two evening jobs to make ends meet, she was made redundant from both within a month. As a 21-year-old in full time education with no children she did not qualify for benefits. She sold everything she had and, with nowhere else to turn, she asked her local councillor for help; they referred her to the foodbank. When she arrived she was ill, dehydrated and in the first stages of malnutrition. For Charlotte, the foodbank was a life saver. She says she has no idea what she would have done without it. She was so impressed by the support she received that she began volunteering at the foodbank.


Couple forced to borrow soup to feed 18-month-old daughter

When temperatures plummet in winter, foodbank clients across the UK are often forced to choose between eating and heating. For Anne-Marie and Danny, 22, a delay in benefits hit at the same time as Danny was off work with flu. He received no sick pay and finances got so tight that they were faced with eviction as well as having no money for food.

The couple and their 18-month-old daughter, Tia, were living and sleeping in one room to reduce heating bills. They resorted to borrowing a tin of soup from their neighbours to stop little Tia going hungry. When the foodbank delivered an emergency foodbox to the delighted family there was ice on the inside of their windows.

‘I don't know what we would have done next if it wasn’t for the foodbank' says Danny.

December and January often see foodbank client numbers increase across the UK as people struggle with additional costs of heating and Christmas.
Hillingdon foodbank helps homeless Afghanistan hero

Lieutenant Kieran McCrystal, 25, walked barefoot to Hillingdon foodbank after his life fell apart due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following his time serving in Afghanistan. Coming to the foodbank has turned his life around.

On leaving the army, Kieran struggled to find a job and was evicted from his house after spending his life savings on rent, too proud to claim benefits. A new father, his PTSD forced him to split with the mother of his child, whom he had been saving up to marry. After spending two weeks on the streets, Lieutenant McCrystal, decided that he had to turn his life around. He went to the YMCA who provided temporary accommodation, but Kieran still needed food and was pointed to Hillingdon foodbank in Uxbridge for help.

The foodbank highlighted his predicament through their local newspaper.

Within 24 hours, Lt McCrystal was placed in accommodation. Now all he is seeking to complete his turnaround, is a job.
Skipping school to avoid embarrassment of no lunch money

A primary school boy from Gloucester stopped attending school recently because he could not face the embarrassment of having no money for lunch. On visiting his home to deliver a foodbank parcel, the school’s liaison officer discovered there was no food, except a little oats and milk. The mother’s purse was empty. The mother of two explained that her husband had left her and that the benefits were in his name. He had not been contributing towards child care since leaving and when she informed the Benefits Agency all benefits were stopped, including child benefit, because of her ‘change in circumstances’. The support worker estimated that it would take two to four months for the benefits to be re-assessed.

Officially, additional benefits like free school meals are not available to children unless parents can prove that they are in receipt of benefits. Fortunately, the foodbank was able to step in to help, enabling the boy to return to school.

Benefit delay and benefit re-assessment cause people across the UK to go hungry. Almost 40% of foodbank clients last year experienced benefit delay.

http://www.trusselltrust.org/real-stories

Sassy wrote:Suggest you read the other threads.   The Tressell Trust have already done the report that links it.

Evidence?

With the greatest respect sassy, I don't think there is any evidence and i'm not going to look for it.

If Lieutenant Kieran McCrystal is still in the army then he should be going to the Offier's Mess for his meals.

The Tressell Trust report gives the evidence and you are obviously not going to look for it, you just couldn't take it if you found out we were speaking the absolute truth, you would probably internally combust  :D 

Sassy wrote:The Tressell Trust report gives the evidence and you are obviously not going to look for it, you just couldn't take it if you found out we were speaking the absolute truth, you would probably internally combust  :D 

Please point me towards it then. It's a bit poor to say you have the evidence and then claim some sort of victory while hiding the evidence behind your back.

BigAndy9 wrote:

Sassy wrote:The Tressell Trust report gives the evidence and you are obviously not going to look for it, you just couldn't take it if you found out we were speaking the absolute truth, you would probably internally combust  :D 

Please point me towards it then.  It's a bit poor to say you have the evidence and then claim some sort of victory while hiding the evidence behind your back.

What sort of evidence would you like Andy?

BigAndy9 wrote:

Sassy wrote:The Tressell Trust report gives the evidence and you are obviously not going to look for it, you just couldn't take it if you found out we were speaking the absolute truth, you would probably internally combust  :D 

Please point me towards it then.  It's a bit poor to say you have the evidence and then claim some sort of victory while hiding the evidence behind your back.

Here you go Andy, the link between Welfare reform and foodbanks. And the great thing is that it's from Tory controlled Kent County Council - you know, the council that controls the garden of England so if it's bad there what's it like around the country.
The report was withdrawn from public view no doubt after a phone call from Tory Central Offoce.


http://twileshare.com/bhdj


Go to 'Key Issues', it is absolutely damning of what IDS's policies are doing.

Sassy wrote:Suggest you read the other threads.   The Tressell Trust have already done the report that links it.

They are blind to the facts because they are nasty party supporters.

Catman wrote:

Sassy wrote:Suggest you read the other threads.   The Tressell Trust have already done the report that links it.

They are blind to the facts because they are nasty party supporters.

Read the above link Phil, it will shock even you.

Sassy wrote:

Catman wrote:

They are blind to the facts because they are nasty party supporters.

Read the above link Phil, it will shock even you.

I will...It's 56 pages though!

Just in case Andy pretends he has missed it:

http://twileshare.com/bhdj

Remember Andy, done by Kent County Council - Conservative, then withdrawn from public view because the conservatives didn't want it seen.

IDS should be strapped down and it read to him, then again, he's probably the one that had it pulled.

Sassy wrote:IDS should be strapped down and it read to him, then again, he's probably the one that had it pulled.

That is an absolutely shocking report and demonstrates quite clearly the link between the use of food banks and the welfare reforms and indeed in other areas of our society as well.

Iain Duncan Smith probably did read it and laughed just as he laughed in the House of Commons when an MP spoke up the express concern at the impact that his reforms are having.

Cameron should get rid of the smarmy git before the electorate gets rid of both of them in 2015.

I wonder if that is why Cameron is keeping him on, getting him to do all the dirty work, sacking him before the next election and then saying 'there you go, I've listened to public opinion' ?

I wonder if Andy has noticed the evidence he asked for yet?

Sassy wrote:I wonder if Andy has noticed the evidence he asked for yet?

Too busy to read anything sassy. Will do it eventually though.

As I thought, no balls to face up to facts.    

That report is damning. I think the time is now Andy to admit that when conservative councils say welfare 'reform' is causing poverty and hardship there might just be something in it.

You're hopeful lol.   Andy will deny or avoid it until his last breath.

Maybe someone can point to any evidence as that link has nothing but suggestions.

Seriously, you think that is evidence?

Give me a break

I tell you what it did say of which I have been stating from the start:


Many Social housing Tenants have problems with debt and rent arrears and some are poor money managers. It then states quite clearly "they may" face additional problems.

So there is your evidence to the rise in people needing food banks, many are irresponsible with their money

PhilDidge wrote:I tell you what it did say of which I have been stating from the start:


Many Social housing Tenants have problems with debt and rent arrears and some are poor money managers. It then states quite clearly "they may" face additional problems.

So there is your evidence to the rise in people needing food banks, many are irresponsible with their money  

Round in circles. If you cant grasp the effect of prices going up whilst wages dont and benefits decrease by now you never will.
And before you come back with some people manage etc that is true for fewer and fewer it seems.

You are right about some being poor money managers, that is another reason why this universal credit is so cruel and will cost more than it saves.

NemsAgain wrote:

PhilDidge wrote:I tell you what it did say of which I have been stating from the start:


Many Social housing Tenants have problems with debt and rent arrears and some are poor money managers. It then states quite clearly "they may" face additional problems.

So there is your evidence to the rise in people needing food banks, many are irresponsible with their money  

Round in circles. If you cant grasp the effect of prices going up whilst wages dont and benefits decrease by now you never will.
And before you come back with some  people manage etc that is true for fewer and fewer it seems.

You are right about some being poor money managers, that is another reason why this universal credit is so cruel and will cost more than it saves.

Sorry but the root cause of the problem Nems, people being irresponsible with their money, that is nothing to do with benefits or anything else, just people living beyond their means. You don't resolve or teach anyone everything if you have to constantly bail them out all the time. The same applied under labour with wages. Sorry that government left an absolute mess, of which the Coalition has had to make difficult decisions for the future of the country. Sadly some will suffer but the reality is it was needed because the country was in a financial mess. What people need to start to do is not live their lives entirely on credit and live within their means, all I here is constant excuses over why people are irresponsible.

If you think that report just has suggestions Didge you haven't read it, and obviously don't want to face the things this Government are doing.

Sassy wrote:If you think that report just has suggestions Didge you haven't read it, and obviously don't want to face the things this Government are doing.

I read it and it backed my point on so many people being irresponsible and you want to pander to people being irresponsible.

Tell me did you learn growing up to constantly bail out someone who never paid you back for example?

People need to learn some responsibility and you wish them to be excused for this, how on earth will they ever learn and thus people with have to constantly help them as they have never learnt.

As I said Didge, pointless repeating it.

Yes pointless excusing irresponsible people

Have to say I'm with Didge on this, we discussed it elsewhere a few weeks ago.

I believe it is down to people not managing their money properly and being in debt for things that are not essential or necessary.

I should know, I was on benefits for a time there and after paying utility bills, food and insurance and other essentials, I was still able to save £60 a week off my benefits. And that was benefits I claimed for myself (JSA) and 16 year old son still in full time education. But then, I am not up to my eyes in debt.

Costa wrote:Have to say I'm with Didge on this, we discussed it elsewhere a few weeks ago.

I believe it is down to people not managing their money properly and being in debt for things that are not essential or necessary.

I should know, I was on benefits for a time there and after paying utility bills, food and insurance and other essentials, I was still able to save £60 a week off my benefits. And that was benefits I claimed for myself (JSA)  and 16 year old son still in full time education. But then, I am not up to my eyes in debt.

Exactly Costa and you did what was needed and cut back on things you did not need, thus placing the needs of your family first.

Blind as bats and against all the evidence of everyone, and I mean everyone, including the Conservative Council, involved. The only people they say can't manage their money are those with learning difficulties, not the ordinary families forced into using food banks.

PhilDidge wrote:

Costa wrote:Have to say I'm with Didge on this, we discussed it elsewhere a few weeks ago.

I believe it is down to people not managing their money properly and being in debt for things that are not essential or necessary.

I should know, I was on benefits for a time there and after paying utility bills, food and insurance and other essentials, I was still able to save £60 a week off my benefits. And that was benefits I claimed for myself (JSA)  and 16 year old son still in full time education. But then, I am not up to my eyes in debt.

Exactly Costa and you did what was needed and cut back on things you did not need, thus placing the needs of your family first.

I was able to live quite comfortablely on benefits, didnt find it a struggle at all, and with money to save and put buy too.