Charities Condemn IDS for FoodBank Snub

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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.

Costa wrote:

PhilDidge wrote:


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.

Indeed Costa and as I have said you can do  it, why can others not do it. As stated from the start people are ignoring the root cause and wish to blame something onto benefits themselves, when it is the people not being responsible with money. Now case in point, you were on benefits and did you need to visit a food bank?

No, thanks for backing up my point with realism

Could I ask Costa, how long did you have to manage on them?

Sassy wrote:Could I ask Costa, how long did you have to manage on them?  

11 months, and may very well have to again, to give up work and care for my father unless I find a part time job.

So before bedroom tax then, which appears to be the root cause of the problem, and before the new rules came in?

PS, sorry to hear about your father, I'm lucky mine is still going strong at nearly 92, but I can see the signs it won't be long before I will be doing the same.

Sassy wrote:So before bedroom tax then, which appears to be the root cause of the problem, and before the new rules came in?

PS, sorry to hear about your father, I'm lucky mine is still going strong at nearly 92, but I can see the signs it won't be long before I will be doing the same.

Wrong again, the root cause is people themselves, it is time you stopped making excuses for people Sassy

Sassy wrote:So before bedroom tax then, which appears to be the root cause of the problem, and before the new rules came in?

Bedroom tax doesnt affect me. I have a 2 bed place for my son and I.

However, I payed £10 per week towards my rent out of benefits, as my housing benefit did not cover the full cost of my rent.

I think you will find it is the ones affected by bedroom tax that are having the problems, and the ones affected by the new rules, which obviously you weren't, plus the sick who are facing added difficulties.

Really? Is that what you think and people for years have always been responsible with their money then Sassy?
That is the reality of what we have today we have an ethos in this country of many people living beyond their means, then people want to white wash this and place blame on policies. Sorry there is no real excuse for people being irresponsible with money

Sassy wrote:So before bedroom tax then, which appears to be the root cause of the problem, and before the new rules came in?

PS, sorry to hear about your father, I'm lucky mine is still going strong at nearly 92, but I can see the signs it won't be long before I will be doing the same.

Sorry, missed your PS there.

Dad has got dementia now, but otherwise quite healthy apart from bad legs, though I have to manage all his financial affairs, food shopping, in fact just about every aspect of his life. It's like living two lives lol

Sassy wrote:I think you will find it is the ones affected by bedroom tax that are having the problems, and the ones affected by the new rules, which obviously you weren't, plus the sick who are facing added difficulties.

But even so, if bedroom tax did affect me, I would still be able to manage quite well. I was able to save £60 a week off my benefits.

£60 a week off your benefits, some people don't even get that, especially when they are challenging ruling, when they don't get anything for 6 months to a year!

Sorry, had to go a bath the dog, just come in off the field.

Sassy wrote:£60 a week off your benefits, some people don't even get that, especially when they are challenging ruling, when they don't get anything for 6 months to a year!

Sorry, had to go a bath the dog, just come in off the field.

Together with JSA, Child Tax Credits and Child Benefit .... I had £160 a week to live off.

I should also have mentioned earlier, I only came off benefits 3 weeks ago.

I do believe there are genuine cases like you mentioned above, but people assessed and already receiving benefits, should not have to visit a food bank.

Do you have to buy school uniforms, or a special diet for a child, or travel backwards and forwards to hospitals for lots of appointments and pay for it, or have the car break down and have to repair it so you can go to interviews, or have a boiler blow up and have to replace it, and all the thousand and one things that can go wrong. Did you ever have your benefit stopped and had to fight to re-instate them, without receiving anything while doing it, which normally takes six months. You were obviously very lucky, it happens to many people.

Jesus wept, talk about pointing out extremes and not daily events so now every family has the above daily do they Sassy?

There are also plenty of jobs out there and there has been a massive increase of Brits obtaining jobs which might well be connected with the new benefit situation and if it is then what wonders it has done

Sassy wrote:Do you have to buy school uniforms, or a special diet for a child, or travel backwards and forwards to hospitals for lots of appointments and pay for it, or have the car break down and have to repair it so you can go to interviews, or have a boiler blow up and have to replace it, and all the thousand and one things that can go wrong.   Did you ever have your benefit stopped and had to fight to re-instate them, without receiving anything while doing it, which normally takes six months.   You were obviously very lucky, it happens to many people.

Yes, I did have JSA stopped and sanctioned as I give up the last job I had. But what happens then, is that they give you Hardship payment instead until your sanction is up.

As for a boiler blowing up, surely if you are a council or private landlord tenant, then they pay for it to be repaired?

School uniforms can be bought very cheaply in the majority of supermarkets, such as Asda, Tesco etc.

Regarding hospital appointments, if you are recieving benefits or on a low income, you can get your travel costs paid for.

And isnt there a benefit if you have a child that requires a special diet? Will have to check on that, but I'm sure there is.

Don't forget, the £60 I was able to save a week, could have went to pay for any emergencys that could have occurred.

Costa wrote:

Sassy wrote:Do you have to buy school uniforms, or a special diet for a child, or travel backwards and forwards to hospitals for lots of appointments and pay for it, or have the car break down and have to repair it so you can go to interviews, or have a boiler blow up and have to replace it, and all the thousand and one things that can go wrong.   Did you ever have your benefit stopped and had to fight to re-instate them, without receiving anything while doing it, which normally takes six months.   You were obviously very lucky, it happens to many people.

Yes, I did have JSA stopped and sanctioned as I give up the last job I had. But what happens then, is that they give you Hardship payment instead until your sanction is up.

As for a boiler blowing up, surely if you are a council or private landlord tenant, then they pay for it to be repaired?

School uniforms can be bought very cheaply in the majority of supermarkets, such as Asda, Tesco etc.

Regarding hospital appointments, if you are recieving benefits or on a low income, you can get your travel costs paid for.

And isnt there a benefit if you have a child that requires a special diet? Will have to check on that, but I'm sure there is.

Don't forget, the £60 I was able to save a week, could have went to pay for any emergencys that could have occurred.

Excellent post, one of realism again!

 :D 

Costa wrote:

Sassy wrote:Do you have to buy school uniforms, or a special diet for a child, or travel backwards and forwards to hospitals for lots of appointments and pay for it, or have the car break down and have to repair it so you can go to interviews, or have a boiler blow up and have to replace it, and all the thousand and one things that can go wrong.   Did you ever have your benefit stopped and had to fight to re-instate them, without receiving anything while doing it, which normally takes six months.   You were obviously very lucky, it happens to many people.

Yes, I did have JSA stopped and sanctioned as I give up the last job I had. But what happens then, is that they give you Hardship payment instead until your sanction is up.

As for a boiler blowing up, surely if you are a council or private landlord tenant, then they pay for it to be repaired?

School uniforms can be bought very cheaply in the majority of supermarkets, such as Asda, Tesco etc.

Regarding hospital appointments, if you are recieving benefits or on a low income, you can get your travel costs paid for.

And isnt there a benefit if you have a child that requires a special diet? Will have to check on that, but I'm sure there is.

Don't forget, the £60 I was able to save a week, could have went to pay for any emergencys that could have occurred.

Does the hard ship payment still exist?
Secondary school requires specific jumpers and blazers etc £42 for blazer £28 for jumper. No school uniform grant anymore.

I would love to know what you got per week costa if you could save £60!

PhilDidge wrote:

Costa wrote:

Yes, I did have JSA stopped and sanctioned as I give up the last job I had. But what happens then, is that they give you Hardship payment instead until your sanction is up.

As for a boiler blowing up, surely if you are a council or private landlord tenant, then they pay for it to be repaired?

School uniforms can be bought very cheaply in the majority of supermarkets, such as Asda, Tesco etc.

Regarding hospital appointments, if you are recieving benefits or on a low income, you can get your travel costs paid for.

And isnt there a benefit if you have a child that requires a special diet? Will have to check on that, but I'm sure there is.

Don't forget, the £60 I was able to save a week, could have went to pay for any emergencys that could have occurred.

Excellent post, one of realism again!

 :D 

Forgot to mention too that the Jobcentre pays travel costs to job interviews.

NemsAgain wrote:

Costa wrote:

Yes, I did have JSA stopped and sanctioned as I give up the last job I had. But what happens then, is that they give you Hardship payment instead until your sanction is up.

As for a boiler blowing up, surely if you are a council or private landlord tenant, then they pay for it to be repaired?

School uniforms can be bought very cheaply in the majority of supermarkets, such as Asda, Tesco etc.

Regarding hospital appointments, if you are recieving benefits or on a low income, you can get your travel costs paid for.

And isnt there a benefit if you have a child that requires a special diet? Will have to check on that, but I'm sure there is.

Don't forget, the £60 I was able to save a week, could have went to pay for any emergencys that could have occurred.

Does the hard ship payment still exist?
Secondary school requires specific jumpers and blazers etc £42 for blazer £28 for jumper. No school uniform grant anymore.

I would love to know what you got per week costa if you could save £60!

Hi Nems

Yes, the hardship payment still does exist.

You can pick up school jumpers, shirts etc from around £5 in any of the big stores. And a blazer is not essential, though I have seen them very cheaply in charity shops for sale , though I'd rather buy a warm coat instead as kids are going to need that with a winter coming in.

I was receiving £160 a week total (JSA, child tax credits and child benefit)

Important update: Travel to Interview scheme is now closed

The Travel to Interview scheme is now closed.

Help with travel costs incurred while attending job interviews may still be available through a limited fund which Jobcentre Plus advisers can access. The fund is discretionary and no one has an automatic right to help.

Please speak to your Jobcentre Plus adviser for more information about help available in your area.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121015000000/http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/programmesandservices/DG_173631

It is now up to the Job Centre whether they have funds or not.

Sassy wrote:Important update: Travel to Interview scheme is now closed

The Travel to Interview scheme is now closed.

Help with travel costs incurred while attending job interviews may still be available through a limited fund which Jobcentre Plus advisers can access. The fund is discretionary and no one has an automatic right to help.

Please speak to your Jobcentre Plus adviser for more information about help available in your area.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121015000000/http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/programmesandservices/DG_173631

It is now up to the Job Centre whether they have funds or not.

But it is still available, I have received it myself to travel to Glasgow.

Then your job centre obviously still had funds. In areas of high unemployment it runs out very quickly.

Costa wrote:

NemsAgain wrote:

Does the hard ship payment still exist?
Secondary school requires specific jumpers and blazers etc £42 for blazer £28 for jumper. No school uniform grant anymore.

I would love to know what you got per week costa if you could save £60!

Hi Nems

Yes, the hardship payment still does exist.

You can pick up school jumpers, shirts etc from around £5 in any of the big stores. And a blazer is not essential, though I have seen them very cheaply in charity shops for sale , though I'd rather buy a warm coat instead as kids are going to need that with a winter coming in.

I was receiving £160 a week total (JSA, child tax credits and child benefit)

But many schools will only accept uniforms from the shop they stipulate.

Sassy wrote:Then your job centre obviously still had funds.   In areas of high unemployment it runs out very quickly.

More excuses and even after the inquisition on Costa, she has proven again many people can manage their money so why is it people are pandering to people who are in the main, not all but irresponsible with their money?

Sassy wrote:

Costa wrote:

Hi Nems

Yes, the hardship payment still does exist.

You can pick up school jumpers, shirts etc from around £5 in any of the big stores. And a blazer is not essential, though I have seen them very cheaply in charity shops for sale , though I'd rather buy a warm coat instead as kids are going to need that with a winter coming in.

I was receiving £160 a week total (JSA, child tax credits and child benefit)

But many schools will only accept uniforms from the shop they stipulate.

So will they stop your child from attending school if they turn up in a Tesco uniform? I don't think so, think of the out cry if they did.

Sassy wrote:Then your job centre obviously still had funds.   In areas of high unemployment it runs out very quickly.

I beleive its down to the actual job advisor you personally have, and how enthusiastic you are, in showing them that you are looking for a job.

Costa wrote:

Sassy wrote:

But many schools will only accept uniforms from the shop they stipulate.

So will they stop your child from attending school if they turn up in a Tesco uniform? I don't think do, think of the out cry if they did.

Yes they will, and have done many times.

Costa wrote:

Sassy wrote:Then your job centre obviously still had funds.   In areas of high unemployment it runs out very quickly.

I beleive its down to the actual job advisor you personally have, and how enthusiastic you are, in showing them that you are looking for a job.

No its not, its down to how much funding they have left.

Sassy wrote:

Costa wrote:

So will they stop your child from attending school if they turn up in a Tesco uniform? I don't think do, think of the out cry if they did.

Yes they will, and have done many times.

Where have they done this, because we don't have that problem here.

Sassy wrote:

Costa wrote:

I beleive its down to the actual job advisor you personally have, and how enthusiastic you are, in showing them that you are looking for a job.

No its not, its down to how much funding they have left.

Thats right, its down to the funding and the discretion of your job advisor, so if you show that you are extremely keen to secure a job, they will help you.

Costa wrote:

Sassy wrote:

No its not, its down to how much funding they have left.

Thats right, its down to the funding and the discretion of your job advisor, so if you show that you are extremely keen to secure a job, they will help you.

If they run out of funding, which they do very quickly, bang goes your money, no matter how enthusiastic your advisor is.   In fact lots of people have been told they are going on too many interviews, have had too great a share of the money and can't have anymore.   This at a time you normally need a lot of interviews before you get a job.

Sassy wrote:

Costa wrote:

Thats right, its down to the funding and the discretion of your job advisor, so if you show that you are extremely keen to secure a job, they will help you.

If they run out of funding, which they do very quickly, bang goes your money, no matter how enthusiastic your advisor is.   In fact lots of people have been told they are going on too many interviews, have had to great a share of the money and can't have anymore.   This at a time you normally need a lot of interviews before you get a job.

Being told they are going on too many interviews???

Christ, you get into bother if you can't show that you are looking for work and going on enough interviews!

It's not the experience I've had, the job advisors have been very helpful with regards to travel costs, and I live in a high unemployment area.

Then you were lucky, and many people aren't.

http://chieelliott.wordpress.com/2011/07/30/one-too-many-interviews-got-me-in-trouble-with-the-jobcentre/

Or that person was unlucky, easy to change the context of something.

Yea right, head in sand again. One of many.

Sassy wrote:Yea right, head in sand again.   One of many.

....Nasty party sycophants.

Sassy wrote:Yea right, head in sand again.   One of many.

No dear, as seen you can make something look very different by its wording, I would say some people are unlucky, Costa like many others is the realism, which you fail to grasp, what you posted is not the norm, but the exception

No Didge, you would rather ignore every fact than say something this Government is doing is wrong.   You are a cap doffer as Irn would say.   They are the norm, Costa is the exception.

It was fact, not wording, experience, not pie in the sky.

Sassy wrote:No Didge, you would rather ignore every fact than say something this Government is doing is wrong.   You are a cap doffer as Irn would say.   They are the norm, Costa is the exception.

It was fact, not wording, experience, not pie in the sky.

No dear, you are very mistaken as seen on a great many things, you don't as proven look to the real root cause of the problem. You excuse irresponsibility and try to lay then the blame on the Coalition who had to make touch decisions on the economy after the mess it inherited

Costa wrote:

NemsAgain wrote:

Does the hard ship payment still exist?
Secondary school requires specific jumpers and blazers etc £42 for blazer £28 for jumper. No school uniform grant anymore.

I would love to know what you got per week costa if you could save £60!

Hi Nems

Yes, the hardship payment still does exist.

You can pick up school jumpers, shirts etc from around £5 in any of the big stores. And a blazer is not essential, though I have seen them very cheaply in charity shops for sale , though I'd rather buy a warm coat instead as kids are going to need that with a winter coming in.

I was receiving £160 a week total (JSA, child tax credits and child benefit)

Hi Costa
At my children school a specific blazer is compulsory as is a different tie each year   

I wonder how much gas and electric was per week ( I swear Im paying for the street!)

Also I take it you didnt have a car to run that is a dear do.

I cant imagine how I could survive on £100 a week.

What I’m reading on here is the result of this government’s policy of blaming the poor, the sick, the disabled and the unemployed for the state this country is in and the circumstances they find themselves in. It’s the strivers versus the shirkers argument designed to what I see written on here and it stinks to high heaven. The council report is right on the button and tells the true picture of what it’s like in Kent and for that they should be applauded. Just a pity that someone somewhere decided that it should be hidden from public view. What a bunch of chancers they are.
If all these additional people were not in difficulties before but they are now then something must have changed and it did. This bunch of chancers with their ill thought out policies came along to hammer the people suffering the most and now they laugh, sneer and snigger when someone stands up to discuss and point out the hardship that many people are enduring under their stewardship. The sooner we get rid of that smarmy git Duncan Smith and the rest of the cronies the better.
Never mind, Councils across the land will soon be banned by Pickle’s Tory Stasi state cops from publishing or criticising government policy so best get out as much as possible now before the hammer comes down and they are silenced.

Sorry to be so blunt but I only have a few minutes to spare at the moment.

NemsAgain wrote:

Costa wrote:

Hi Nems

Yes, the hardship payment still does exist.

You can pick up school jumpers, shirts etc from around £5 in any of the big stores. And a blazer is not essential, though I have seen them very cheaply in charity shops for sale , though I'd rather buy a warm coat instead as kids are going to need that with a winter coming in.

I was receiving £160 a week total (JSA, child tax credits and child benefit)

Hi Costa
At my children school a specific blazer is compulsory as is a different tie each year   

I wonder how much gas and electric was per week ( I swear Im paying for the street!)

Also I take it you didnt have a car to run that is a dear do.

I cant imagine how I could survive on £100 a week.

It must be different for schools in my part of Scotland then, obviously uniform is compulsory, but it doesnt have to be from a specific shop.

It's actually easy to live off £100 a week, I'll give you a run down of my living costs....

Elec - £10
Gas - £10 (for heating only)
Insurance - £7
Water rates - £9
Food - £40
Top up payment for rent - £10 (housing benefit doesnt cover full cost of rent)
Other essentials as and when needed - £14

Total - £100

Leaving me with £60 left over, which I would save for anything else needed such as clothes etc.

I don't drink and stopped smoking, but use ecigs now which cost me £3 a week. And I don't have any credit or debts to pay.

Irn Bru wrote:What I’m reading on here is the result of this government’s policy of blaming the poor, the sick, the disabled and the unemployed for the state this country is in and the circumstances they find themselves in. It’s the strivers versus the shirkers argument designed to what I see written on here and it stinks to high heaven. The council report is right on the button and tells the true picture of what it’s like in Kent and for that they should be applauded.  Just a pity that someone somewhere decided that it should be hidden from public view. What a bunch of chancers they are.
If all these additional people were not in difficulties before but they are now then something must have changed and it did. This bunch of chancers with their ill thought out policies  came along to hammer the people suffering the most  and now they laugh, sneer and snigger when someone stands up to discuss and point out the hardship that many people are enduring under their stewardship. The sooner we get rid of that smarmy git Duncan Smith and the rest of the cronies the better.
Never mind, Councils across the land will soon be banned by Pickle’s Tory Stasi state cops from publishing or criticising government policy so best get out as much as possible now before the hammer comes down and they are silenced.

Sorry to be so blunt but I only have a few minutes to spare at the moment.

Actually Irn what is wrong is people using pseudo science to claim measures in place have created the situations being claimed.

The council report is nothing but pseudo science and has not provided any real evidence, and as stated many of those who support Labour are clearly excusing the facts here of people being very poor with their money. Now are you going to tell me people do not live constantly on credit and live beyond their means? As seen many other people cope very well not only on benefits and minimum wage and yet these are quietly ignored because they do not fit the profile or agenda being argued here. They show quite clearly the only real factor here is how people manage their money, because if you have people in similar situations and some are not affected by the policies then there clearly is then another issue at hand, one that has been going on for years an ethos of people living their lives on credit. To ignore this is what is wrong, to say this is blaming the poor, the sick, the disabled is absurd, as not once have I cast any such distinction here but only stated people are poor with money and this is where we really need to help resolve instead of ignoring this massive issue, as if it is not resolved, people will continue to be irresponsible. This is the root cause and this is where we should be looking to solve

Nearly nine million people across the UK are living with serious debt problems, according to a new report.

The Money Advice Service (MAS) also said very few people were making any attempt to get professional help.

The problem is particularly acute in five English cities, where more than 40% of the population is struggling to repay debt.

According to the survey, 18% of Britons, 8.8 million people, consider they have "serious" financial issues.

MAS, which is backed by the government, said that for the first time, the survey had provided a detailed understanding of the lives of those who are in debt.

The report found that 74% of those struggling with debt were "unhappy".

There is particular concern that very few people ask for help.

"Millions of people could escape their spiral of debt by accessing free advice," said Caroline Rookes, the chief executive of MAS.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25108891


I think the above shows that what I am talking about is a serious problem and are not able to manage their finances, with little seeking the advice they need!

PhilDidge wrote:

Costa wrote:

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.

Indeed Costa and as I have said you can do  it, why can others not do it. As stated from the start people are ignoring the root cause and wish to blame something onto benefits themselves, when it is the people not being responsible with money. Now case in point, you were on benefits and did you need to visit a food bank?

No, thanks for backing up my point with realism

...I remember for 3 weeks Didge when all I was entitled to was £22 a fortnight bridging allowance after being paid off from the forte butcher I worked in as they were not happy employing someone with a bad back..they never even had the balls to tell me this to my face, I heard it from another employee who was chosen to hand me my last pay packet.

Anyway..yes you heard right £22 fortnightly to live on, a I was only 16 but had my own flat,thank goodness only a couple of weeks went by before landing another job.

I hear what Costa says but there was not the job shortage that there is now..please remember this was before the age of the Internet too.

The cost of living has rocketed and the wages don't match that.

I just don't believe the £60 a week pr so unemployment pays is enough to live comfortably from,melt alone putting something aside for a rainy day.

Some seem to think benefits is a life of lavish, if that's the case with any of you guys then why not just drop your job and go on benefits?...

I'm sure there will be a queue for your job.

PhilDidge wrote:

Costa wrote:

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.

Indeed Costa and as I have said you can do  it, why can others not do it. As stated from the start people are ignoring the root cause and wish to blame something onto benefits themselves, when it is the people not being responsible with money. Now case in point, you were on benefits and did you need to visit a food bank?

No, thanks for backing up my point with realism

...I remember for 3 weeks Didge when all I was entitled to was £22 a fortnight bridging allowance after being paid off from the forte butcher I worked in as they were not happy employing someone with a bad back..they never even had the balls to tell me this to my face, I heard it from another employee who was chosen to hand me my last pay packet.

Anyway..yes you heard right £22 fortnightly to live on, a I was only 16 but had my own flat,thank goodness only a couple of weeks went by before landing another job.

I hear what Costa says but there was not the job shortage that there is now..please remember this was before the age of the Internet too.

The cost of living has rocketed and the wages don't match that.

I just don't believe the £60 a week pr so unemployment pays is enough to live comfortably from,melt alone putting something aside for a rainy day.

Some seem to think benefits is a life of lavish, if that's the case with any of you guys then why not just drop your job and go on benefits?...

I'm sure there will be a queue for your job.

Sorry ...double posted.

Joy Division wrote:

PhilDidge wrote:

Indeed Costa and as I have said you can do  it, why can others not do it. As stated from the start people are ignoring the root cause and wish to blame something onto benefits themselves, when it is the people not being responsible with money. Now case in point, you were on benefits and did you need to visit a food bank?

No, thanks for backing up my point with realism

...I remember for 3 weeks Didge when all I was entitled to was £22 a fortnight bridging allowance after being paid off from the forte butcher I worked in as they were not happy employing someone with a bad back..they never even had the balls to tell me this to my face, I heard it from another employee who was chosen to hand me my last pay packet.

Anyway..yes you heard right £22 fortnightly to live on, a I was only 16 but had my own flat,thank goodness only a couple of weeks went by before landing another job.

I hear what Costa says but there was not the job shortage that there is now..please remember this was before the age of the Internet too.

The cost of living has rocketed and the wages don't match that.

I just don't believe the £60 a week pr so unemployment pays is enough to live comfortably from,melt alone putting something aside for a rainy day.

Some seem to think benefits is a life of lavish, if that's the case with any of you guys then why not just drop your job and go on benefits?...

I'm sure there will be a queue for your job.

Hi JD

I am referring to the here and now, not many years ago.

But I do remember many years ago when working on a low wage, and that was ALL you had to support yourself and your family, except for child benefit if you had kids.

Nowadays, people on low incomes have their wages topped up with working tax credits and child tax credits, not to mention the extra benefits that go with it. I am not on a min wage, I earn a not too bad wage with a bonus on top, and still I receive working tax credit and child tax credit. Honestly, I've never had it so good!

From my experience many years ago, things are much better now.

Hi Joy

First of all nobody is living on £60 per week, it is £71 and this is for people who only require   assistance to get back into work, thus this is very important, they do not require any other benefits means there are living with someone and thus have support. Lets also repeat the point the benefits for the unemployed is to assist them as is meant as a temporary support and is not meant for long term.

The reality is under Labour an ethos grew around the belief it was easier to live on benefits than to work, that is wrong on all levels, and I am not saying everyone, but there was a quantity of people that believed they could. This had to stop, as any self respecting person would not want to live off benefits and would rather earn their own money, but as seen some thought otherwise.

The point being made here is a very valid one, which is in regards to how people are managing their money and as seen vast amounts of people are in serious debt. The reality is here that this the key to the problem and we need to help people solve their debt problems of which many people would have created themselves, to ignore this does nothing to solve the problem. I certainly don't think it is a life of lavish today as the Coalition has made the benefit system for the unemployed to what it should be, an assistance to help people back into work. What some people need to do is take a leaf out of Costa's book, she made sacrifices of things that were not a necessity, which with giving up smoking is hard for many people, but the point is here she placed the needs of her family above everything, where many people do not, when growing up I myself went without many things, but there was always food on the table and clothes on my back and a roof over my head, with a loving family, I could not ask for anything more!

Hi Costa,

I think you've been on the receiving end of how the benefits system should work.  You found yourself out of work, you'd lived responsibly within your means in the past and the system tide you over until you were able to secure a new job

No-one wants to see people take the mickey out of the system and although people deny it there are people out there who live their lives on benefits with no intention of finding work or helping themselves.

There are equally those who deserve the help they need such as the ill and disabled who simply don't get sufficient financial assistance.

You need to be very rich or very poor, anything inbetween and lose your job and it results in severe hardship it seems