Is he Right?? Tory That Blames Foodbanks Use on Those that "Can't Cook, Budget"

[JP_]

money that would have been spent on food used to buy lottery tickets/cigs etc

Good point, companies peddling highly addictive products and government endorsed gambling organisation (also addictive) should be doing more to help people.

 

[The Samaritan]

Good point, companies peddling highly addictive products and government endorsed gambling organisation (also addictive) should be doing more to help people.

Agreed and it is the govs fault for not making them the firms more to help gambling addicts.

 

[ajohn]

There are some facts that are about. Numbers of people who live below certain poverty lines. They aren't invented.

Benefit scroungers. Popular area with the Tory faithful. In real terms they want everyone working really. When ever scroungers are looked at in detail % are found to be very low. So low that the cost of spotting all of them would be far more than what is lost this way.

Get a job - in my working lifetime that has slowly but surely got harder. A lot depends on what some one can do. A graduate may find it tricky to get their first job. That aspect is far worse than it was even at that level. A popular view with older people is well I got a job so they should too. These also had more chance of getting the type of job they wanted. This area varies widely around the country. I will always remember a comment from a Tory some time ago. Sorting Stoke on Trent out, No chance they all may as well move to the SE. The jobs need to move to them and what jobs? Anyone who works in London doing the same job as some one in Stoke On Trent will earn more than they do. They probably need too as well.

A local church runs a pretty busy food bank. They have a cafe too that I use at times. A lady there with a similar opinion to some says I see them sticking loads in the back of a 4x4. Not possible a voucher only provides so much. She may have seen this once. I never have - collecting for several people, probably an act of charity. Getting about costs too even to work.

There are also factors relating to society. I'll call it street cred but it applies to all maybe even desire for a super open plan huge kitchen. Attempts to get people to buy all sorts is a fact of life. Media means people regularly see all sorts of "standards of living" for people to aspire to as far as they can. People used to live without a fridge - were to draw the line? Clothes used to be washed in a tub and part dried with a specific piece of kit. Can people exist without a phone - the only reason I have a land line really is for the web.

Designer clothes - some buy fakes. Surely you have heard they are about. Some people who are hard up will tell you where to buy all sorts of things.

So what's different about foodbanks really. There may be some abuse but don't you think the people who run them are aware of that and also what about the people who need them.

Priti made an interesting comment in the house. Some really can't get a job. They are hidden in the figures. She reckons 2.5m of them. When asked they say they do want a job. Her view is companies should employ and if needed train them. Some have tried fruit picking during covid and ached so much they could no longer do it. I had some food deliveries from a bricky. Post covid he was glad to get back to it as he was amazed how hard people had to work in Iceland. He thought he was lucky to be driving. Shops - some will be shifting to self checkout - even less jobs. Amazon can only employ so many.

Don't worry everyone will be educated to rocket scientist level. What some wont realise is that we no longer live in their past.

 

[JP_]

Don't worry everyone will be educated to rocket scientist level.

Maybe one day, with a lot of investment.

The average reading age in the UK is currently 9 years. Many jobs expects GSCE C English as a minimum, which immediately blocks huge numbers of people. 28% of current school leaves score 3 or below in GCSE English.

 

[Ihavenojob]

Many, many people, from the very poor to those just about coping will have to try and adapt to a different standard of living, and a lot of them manage somehow to keep the family fed and housed, but in some cases people will want to keep to their standard of living and will take any freebie going.

 

[ajohn]

Maybe one day, with a lot of investment.

I went to a form of comprehensive school. There were 4 streams. Why is that?

Do you think the reading age of all people in say Stoke on Trent is ~3. Do you think it was when masses worked in pottery. Do you think all of the schools are crap?

I only mention that place as some interesting aspects about general problems mention the area such as Wales, Scotland get help we are forgotten.

The problem is jobs. The same applies in many areas. If a school can get a pupil to reach their full potential it doesn't help solve that problem. In some ways it's a bit of a read herring. What level for instance does a shop assistant or a cafe worker actually need? Many others too. If you had ever worked with people who work on a production line you'd realise that it doesn't mean they are thick. It can just relate to what was available. Also the need to work early in life. These days some avoid university as they don't want the debt. I forked out money when my son went. Some can't afford that. He still has the debt. Some kids get part time jobs - not that easy in a university town and it isn't unusual for them to interfere with study time and life in general.

 

[JP_]

Multiple levels is common. But, when all children are now expected to be in full time education by law from 4 years old, and some leave with very poor reading skills, then you have to ask what is going wrong. I wasn't talking about uni, just getting a pass at GCSE, something which many businesses expect. Those that do not have that pass are denied a chance to work in that job, and with more service related jobs, and fewer manufacturing jobs, this is a problem.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

His comments might have been valid to some extent, however they were nevertheless tone deaf in the current times we're living through.

Why do we have poor people in this country?
Why are X% unemployed?
Why do we have foodbanks?
Why do some people in work still struggle?

etc etc. Yes of course, when thinking of any cohort of society, there will be a % within that are taking the p1ss e.g. pleading poverty whilst buying 40 fags a week, takeaway each night etc. However within said cohort there will also be a % that are genuinely trying, not spending on sh1t, but still struggling day to day.

Overall, where should the blame sit if a country has socioeconomic problems? With those governing the country or the masses? You can assert it sits with both and to an extent this is true. However, I'd assert it's years of government mismanagement at UK and global level that's led to the above issues, all of which existed pre covid.

Governments, especially tory governments, love to misdirect the masses on to other societal groups, 'blame them not us' it's all smoke and mirrors stuff. Deviate the conversation away from the mistakes we're making, blame 'that lot.'

 

[JP_]

Governments, especially tory governments, love to misdirect the masses on to other societal groups, 'blame them not us' it's all smoke and mirrors stuff. Deviate the conversation away from the mistakes we're making, blame 'that lot.'

There was an article published the other day along these lines, saying we are living in the most divided times since the civil war.

Divide and conquer.

 

[sxturbo]

Only read first page, but the Tory guy is a plonker.

I don't believe it's that poor people can't cook, it's not that difficult, it the fact they can't afford to buy the food in the first place.

In my house we always buy fresh and all meals are cooked from scratch, however our weekly shop is around £40 dearer than my mates who just buy everything ready made and they don't really cook.

In a world where it's cheaper to put chicken nuggets and chips which can be cooked in 15 minutes on the table than a proper meal which takes at least 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook and has the "meat and 2 veg" philosophy which costs at least twice as much as.

We need to start looking at the root of the problem as opposed to blaming the poor for their being poverty....

Sometimes I despair at government figures, it's like we've gone back to Victorian times, just goes to show how really out of touch they are.

Don't get me wrong there some right Herbert's out there who believe the world owes them a living and are happy to sponge and moan about it's everyone else problem but that's not the case with 80-90% of those that find themselves in poverty.

 

[The Samaritan]

O
Don't get me wrong there some right Herbert's out there who believe the world owes them a living and are happy to sponge and moan about it's everyone else problem but that's not the case with 80-90% of those that find themselves in poverty.

The way I see it is the other way around. Rather than what you stated, from what i have seen, a good 90% have self-inflicted their current status.

Too many people live from hand to mouth and then start to borrow, pay interest, buy stuff they could do without of get a lot cheaper EG mobile phone and no need to have a sky/virgin subscription as there is Freeview, no need to smoke/vape/drin or have a car, alsmost everyone on my road did without a car when i was about 5, dad had a car and about two other houses - we had houses on one isde of th road so could tell and no OSP


With the current sky-high fuel prices and food, you will get more people falling into the poverty trap the longer this goes on.

All political parties are to blame for the workshy, benefit cheats and they give the real claimants a poor press.

I've said it before, I never wanted to work but i knew i had to in order to buy my own property, car, savings etc and whenever we bought something expesnive eg car/house even a sofa suite costing 9k for three 4 seat sofas, we always had about 2 years money in the bank.

Money makes money, its being careful and waiting and buying cash and no borrowing unless you are buying a house/buisness

 

[Dork Lard]

I don't know what the criteria is to qualify for these foodbanks but I'm fairly sure they aren't funded by the welfare state.

Am I a foodbank if I feed my mates when they pop 'round for a chinwag?

And another thing, why haven't we any malt whisky banks???

 

[diy_fun_uk]

The way I see it is the other way around. Rather than what you stated, from what i have seen, a good 90% have self-inflicted their current status.

Too many people live from hand to mouth and then start to borrow, pay interest, buy stuff they could do without of get a lot cheaper EG mobile phone and no need to have a sky/virgin subscription as there is Freeview, no need to smoke/vape/drin or have a car, alsmost everyone on my road did without a car when i was about 5, dad had a car and about two other houses - we had houses on one isde of th road so could tell and no OSP

With the current sky-high fuel prices and food, you will get more people falling into the poverty trap the longer this goes on.

All political parties are to blame for the workshy, benefit cheats and they give the real claimants a poor press.

I've said it before, I never wanted to work but i knew i had to in order to buy my own property, car, savings etc and whenever we bought something expesnive eg car/house even a sofa suite costing 9k for three 4 seat sofas, we always had about 2 years money in the bank.

Money makes money, its being careful and waiting and buying cash and no borrowing unless you are buying a house/buisness

I agree with some of your assertions, however I'd dispute the 90% figure.

It's undoubtedly true that many people, to varying degrees, live (financially) beyond their means, whether in work or on benefits. Too many examples to give e.g. leasing nice cars they don't really need, a house that's excess to actual requirements, buying lots of stuff day to day. People on benefits or low income prioritising the wrong things over paying rent and/or utilities.

However it's not everyone that takes that approach. And I'll repeat, the high majority of the blame for the socioeconomic stability of a country sits squarely with government, and business.

It's a cliche, but decades ago people could walk out of school and to an extent be guaranteed a job. However with much of industry being depleted over recent decades, much of those avenues no longer exist. And yes, I know there 'are' jobs out there, however it's not always that straightforward depending on your location etc.

 

[Notch7]

Don't get me wrong there some right Herbert's out there who believe the world owes them a living and are happy to sponge and moan about it's everyone else problem but that's not the case with 80-90% of those that find themselves in poverty

Listening to a phone in show about poverty, the people ringing in were either working full time, had young children or were careers for relatives.

Example:
a mid wife, she was struggling to pay her energy bills.

a mum, with a young baby, her husband a teacher - earlier in the year, they had to turn off their heating

a Woman who previously worked in banking at senior lever, she had to leave the marital home due to domestic violence and ended up poverty stricken on Universal Credit with her children.

a guy who a single father and can’t work as he looks after his 2 children - he said some days he makes a meal for children, but nothing for himself and if his leave anything, he has that….or nothing.


High rent
High energy prices
Increasing food costs
Insufficient Universal Credit support

all leave people with the grinding misery of poverty.

 

[Dork Lard]

When did everybodys energy bills skyrocket?

I know that it's coming, but it hasn't hit me yet !