living in poverty

[Robin-H 11]

2 minutes ago, Longcol said:

Food banks barely (if at all) existed under Labour - it's only in the last few years that they've grown exponentially. Working in the homeless sector until last year, for our service users dependency on food banks was overwhelmingly due to benefits being sanctioned.

The Trussel Trust said they wanted a nationwide system of food banks to act as a welfare net back in 2004. 

[Longcol 602]

17 minutes ago, Robin-H said:

The Trussel Trust said they wanted a nationwide system of food banks to act as a welfare net back in 2004. 

Can't recall any in Sheffield until after 2010 .  (see addendum)

 

Food bank use has increased massively under the Tories (and coalition).

 

https://www.trusselltrust.org/news-and-blog/latest-stats/end-year-stats/#fy-2018-2019

 

addendum

 

Actually 3 existed in 2010 - the scale was far smaller than today.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-18007630

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Longcol

[Robin-H 11]

9 minutes ago, Longcol said:

Can't recall any in Sheffield until after 2010 .  (see addendum)

 

Food bank use has increased massively under the Tories (and coalition).

 

https://www.trusselltrust.org/news-and-blog/latest-stats/end-year-stats/#fy-2018-2019

 

addendum

 

Actually 3 existed in 2010 - the scale was far smaller than today.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-18007630

 

 

 

Yes, and the number of food banks has increased massively, as per the Trussell Trust's business plan from the mid 2000s.. 

 

Just because the food banks weren't there, it doesn't mean the demand for them wasn't there. The Trussell Trust were clearly aware of the demand back in 2004, hence why they wanted to set up a large network of food banks across the country. 

 

I'm not saying that things like the protracted transition to Universal Credit hasn't pushed up food bank use in some areas, as I'm sure it has, but I don't think it's as simple as claiming that the increase in food bank use is entirely down to the Tories. 

[Cyclone 10]

You're always keen to point out how austerity isn't a source of harm to the poor.

[Robin-H 11]

7 minutes ago, Cyclone said:

You're always keen to point out how austerity isn't a source of harm to the poor.

Really? Even in my last comment, when I clearly stated that the transition to Universal Credit was a cause for the increase in food bank use? 

 

What part of my previous comment do you think isn't correct, and why?

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Robin-H

[Voice of reason 0]

50 minutes ago, Longcol said:

Food banks barely (if at all) existed under Labour - it's only in the last few years that they've grown exponentially. Working in the homeless sector until last year, for our service users dependency on food banks was overwhelmingly due to benefits being sanctioned.

This is useful info from someone directly involved.

So, if food bank use is by people sanctioned, rather than those on regularly received benefits, it would imply the critical issues are centred on gaps and delays, or sanctions to benefits, rather than the actual benefit levels.

[WiseOwl182 10]

11 hours ago, Halibut said:

I'd like to see you live on 73 quid a week and then come and tell us how great it was.

It's not supposed to be great, that's the point. It's a safety net. Housing costs paid for and £73 a week isn't poverty either.

[WiseOwl182 10]

7 hours ago, CaptainSwing said:

Relative poverty is a measure of income inequality.  If we reduced that inequality, we'd reduce the level of relative poverty.

 

So if the majority of the country were millionaires, but a few percent were billionaires, would we be worse off than if everyone had a tenner?

Edited June 4, 2019 by WiseOwl182

[Robin-H 11]

2 minutes ago, WiseOwl182 said:

It's not supposed to be great, that's the point. It's a safety net. Housing costs paid for and £73 a week isn't poverty either.

It would obviously depend on personal circumstances, but as you say JSA is meant to only be a temporary safety net.

 

JSA payments work out at £316.37 a month. Your Council Tax payments are reduced, but not removed entirely, and so you would still have to contribute £4.03 a week (for a Band A property), which would be about £17.45 a month I think. That leaves about £299. 

 

Whether 100% of your housing costs (rent) are paid would depend on whether the amount you currently pay is above or below the allowance for the size of property/other circumstances. 

[WiseOwl182 10]

4 minutes ago, CaptainSwing said:

Neither of those scenarios is very likely.  Reducing inequality is an achievable goal in the real world.

It's to illustrate the concept. Socialists prefer everyone to be poor than for for most to be well off and a few wealthy.

[Longcol 602]

1 hour ago, Voice of reason said:

This is useful info from someone directly involved.

So, if food bank use is by people sanctioned, rather than those on regularly received benefits, it would imply the critical issues are centred on gaps and delays, or sanctions to benefits, rather than the actual benefit levels.

I was only talking about the homeless sector - but yes - in our sector the greatest use of foodbanks was due to gaps /delays/ sanctions.  Some users would also use other methods to make up their "income" - crime, begging etc.

[WiseOwl182 10]

3 minutes ago, WiseOwl182 said:

It's to illustrate the concept. Socialists prefer everyone to be poor than for for most to be well off and a few wealthy.

"So long as the gap is smaller, they'd rather make the poor poorer".

 

- Margaret Thatcher