The Trussell Trust, as the UK’s largest food bank operator says ‘this cannot go on’ as emergency handouts skyrocket.
Days after the King opened two new ‘hubs’ to distributed supplies to food banks in London and Kirkby, the Trust said it has had to distribute nearly one-and-a-half million food parcels in the six months between April and September 2024.
This is a shocking 69 per cent more than were given away during the same period in 2019. So much for all Boris Johnson’s promises of prosperity under his government (and that of his Tory successors)!
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
But Labour is doing no better – so far.
“The UK Government was elected with a manifesto pledge to end the need for emergency food and the time to act is now,” said Emma Revie, chief executive of Trussell.
“We need a clearer plan with more decisive action to invest in our social security system, if we are to end hunger once and for all.”
What a forlorn hope. The new Labour government’s plans for social security show it is as determined to punish the poor for their misfortune as its Tory predecessors were.
Social security payments have been hugely reduced – in real terms – over the 45 years since neoliberalism became the religion of the inhabitants of the Palace of Westminster, and only today (Wednesday, November 20, 2024) we learned that inflation caused by the energy price increase is forcing even more people to choose between heating and eating.
Cuts in pensioners’ winter fuel allowance mean 50,000 more senior citizens will be living in relative poverty next year.
Help for other people struggling to pay energy bills has been scaled back.
Prices of food including cheddar cheese, baking potatoes and butter have risen in the last year.
“Our food banks are a lifeline, offering a warm welcome and space to be heard,” said Emma Revie. “They need everyone to play their part to move us towards ending the need for emergency food in the UK.” This, she said, included “campaigning to help end hunger in the UK”.
She said: “The sheer numbers of people still facing hunger and hardship across the UK is heartbreaking. This cannot go on and we refuse to stand by while so many of us are pushed to the brink, left without enough money to live on.”
As one of those who is currently without enough money to live on, This Writer finds himself in a unique position to comment on the effectiveness of efforts for change. I’ll keep you posted while I can.
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Food bank operator says ‘this cannot go on’ as emergency handouts skyrocket
The Trussell Trust, as the UK’s largest food bank operator says ‘this cannot go on’ as emergency handouts skyrocket.
Days after the King opened two new ‘hubs’ to distributed supplies to food banks in London and Kirkby, the Trust said it has had to distribute nearly one-and-a-half million food parcels in the six months between April and September 2024.
This is a shocking 69 per cent more than were given away during the same period in 2019. So much for all Boris Johnson’s promises of prosperity under his government (and that of his Tory successors)!
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
But Labour is doing no better – so far.
“The UK Government was elected with a manifesto pledge to end the need for emergency food and the time to act is now,” said Emma Revie, chief executive of Trussell.
“We need a clearer plan with more decisive action to invest in our social security system, if we are to end hunger once and for all.”
What a forlorn hope. The new Labour government’s plans for social security show it is as determined to punish the poor for their misfortune as its Tory predecessors were.
Social security payments have been hugely reduced – in real terms – over the 45 years since neoliberalism became the religion of the inhabitants of the Palace of Westminster, and only today (Wednesday, November 20, 2024) we learned that inflation caused by the energy price increase is forcing even more people to choose between heating and eating.
Cuts in pensioners’ winter fuel allowance mean 50,000 more senior citizens will be living in relative poverty next year.
Help for other people struggling to pay energy bills has been scaled back.
Prices of food including cheddar cheese, baking potatoes and butter have risen in the last year.
“Our food banks are a lifeline, offering a warm welcome and space to be heard,” said Emma Revie. “They need everyone to play their part to move us towards ending the need for emergency food in the UK.” This, she said, included “campaigning to help end hunger in the UK”.
She said: “The sheer numbers of people still facing hunger and hardship across the UK is heartbreaking. This cannot go on and we refuse to stand by while so many of us are pushed to the brink, left without enough money to live on.”
As one of those who is currently without enough money to live on, This Writer finds himself in a unique position to comment on the effectiveness of efforts for change. I’ll keep you posted while I can.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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