'They don't need me now': COVID impact forcing Britons to food banks

[snoop1130 11,961]

'They don't need me now': COVID impact forcing Britons to food banks

By Natalie Thomas 3 MIN READ

 

FILE PHOTO: Cereal is pictured at The DENS charity food bank, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Hemel Hempstead, Britain, March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Paul Childs

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British food banks are seeing more families needing their support as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic forces struggling people to seek help, charities and volunteers say.

 

Lockdowns and other measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus have forced businesses to close or lay off staff. The rise in those out of work has resulted in more people turning to food banks, which provide emergency food supplies to families in need.

 

“I was working part-time as a cleaner for evenings, and then when COVID started, we had to quit because everything was closed and our offices, they’re not opening until 2021 because people can work from home,” said Vilma Tunylaite, 40, queuing at a food bank in southwest London.

 

“And me, they don’t need me now.”

 

The latest official figures last month showed Britain’s unemployment rate had risen to 4.8%, with employers laying off a record number of staff in the third quarter.

 

The Bank of England has forecast the jobless rate would rise to nearly 8% by the middle of next year, despite the government extending an emergency jobs subsidy programme until the end of March.

 

The Trussell Trust, which runs more than 1,300 food bank centres across Britain, says it provided 1.2 million food parcels between April and September, with a huge rise in people needing its support for the first time.

 

It forecasts there will be a 61% increase in food parcels required across its network from October to December, the equivalent of six parcels given out every minute.

 

“If you look at what’s happened over the last seven months, the queues have got significantly longer, the nature of the guests who are queuing up ... it’s changed to families as well as those who were living on the streets,” said Alexander Shahid Khan, a banker who volunteers at a food bank in London.

 

“So you can definitely see that the effects of COVID has meant there’s a lot of people suffering from income and food poverty at the moment.”

 

A government spokeswoman said they had announced a 400 million pound support package to help those in need for the winter and beyond, including millions for food aid charities.

 

“The ideal would be for the government obviously to up everybody’s payment that they get every week to a reasonable amount where they don’t have to then seek help from food banks,” said Sahar Beg, chief executive of the Tooting Community Kitchen.

 

“I can’t make a difference there. The only thing I can do is being here to help where we can.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-04

 

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[3NUMBAS 1,751]

its likely the parents are hard drinking, smoking and covered in tattoos as shown on tv progs dealing with this poverty stricken class of people with starving kids at food banks .their UC cash is fritered away on non essential items

[placeholder 7,374]

6 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

its likely the parents are hard drinking, smoking and covered in tattoos as shown on tv progs dealing with this poverty stricken class of people with starving kids at food banks .their UC cash is fritered away on non essential items

Just in time for Christmas, Scrooge makes his appearance.

[kingdong 4,993]

This depression hasn,t even started yet,millions are on " furlough " which is only delaying the inevitable,come spring the bloodbath of unemployment will really kick in.

[Meat Pie 47 1,575]

36 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

its likely the parents are hard drinking, smoking and covered in tattoos as shown on tv progs dealing with this poverty stricken class of people with starving kids at food banks .their UC cash is fritered away on non essential items

Yes and I bet they all got the latest smart phones

[Chomper Higgot 35,639]

9 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

its likely the parents are hard drinking, smoking and covered in tattoos as shown on tv progs dealing with this poverty stricken class of people with starving kids at food banks .their UC cash is fritered away on non essential items

Your usual derogatory characterization of people you don’t know.

[Chomper Higgot 35,639]

9 hours ago, kingdong said:

This depression hasn,t even started yet,millions are on " furlough " which is only delaying the inevitable,come spring the bloodbath of unemployment will really kick in.

I hope you’re wrong but fear you are right.

[Tug 21,531]

9 hours ago, kingdong said:

This depression hasn,t even started yet,millions are on " furlough " which is only delaying the inevitable,come spring the bloodbath of unemployment will really kick in.

Come spring hopefully the world will see the vaccine helping

[Natai Beach 2,144]

9 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

its likely the parents are hard drinking, smoking and covered in tattoos as shown on tv progs dealing with this poverty stricken class of people with starving kids at food banks .their UC cash is fritered away on non essential items

you forgot overweight and gambling.
 

I am fairly confident none of these people will starve to death in the UK.
People in other countries are doing it much harder economically ironically because many in the UK and some other countries refused to wear a mask, socially distance etc which has resulted in this preventable out of control second wave and continues to destroy the worldwide economy.

Harping on about their “human rights”. They can’t see past their own nose. 

 

60,000+ in the UK are dead already though from the virus. I think that is a more important issue. 

 

 

 

 

[Poet 1,884]

Quote

“They don’t need me now.” said Vilma Tunylaite, 40, queuing at a food bank in southwest London.

I am not sure that a Lithuanian part-time cleaner is the best possible example of "COVID forcing Britons to food banks".

If you are willing to clean, the demand for that category of work has actually increased overall due to the vast amount of unnecessary activity that allows businesses and organisations to pretend that they "care" about their customers and workers and are "taking measures to protect them".

True, the office you worked at before Covid may no longer require your services, but you are living in London, there are plenty of other options.

On the other hand, free Weetabix! That's not something that happens back in Panevėžys.

 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Poet

[kingdong 4,993]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I hope you’re wrong but fear you are right.

On my first point so do i .

[Bluespunk 52,913]

12 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

its likely the parents are hard drinking, smoking and covered in tattoos as shown on tv progs dealing with this poverty stricken class of people with starving kids at food banks .their UC cash is fritered away on non essential items

Why, where is your evidence for that crass statement?

[overherebc 18,717]

12 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

its likely the parents are hard drinking, smoking and covered in tattoos as shown on tv progs dealing with this poverty stricken class of people with starving kids at food banks .their UC cash is fritered away on non essential items

I have seen a few complaining on uk tv about shortage of money to feed the kids, smoking ( £12 a pack of 20 ) and an expensive phone in hand, outside the pub. So yes you are correct in what you say, but I would say they are not the only ones having a hard time at the moment.

[Proboscis 2,380]

13 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

its likely the parents are hard drinking, smoking and covered in tattoos as shown on tv progs dealing with this poverty stricken class of people with starving kids at food banks .their UC cash is fritered away on non essential items

We all like to have our prejudices confirmed, don't we?

[KhaoNiaw 1,153]

Many people were relying on foodbanks even before Covid arrived, including working people who are struggling. Not really any point trying to discuss with the boozing-and-smoking-it-all-away crowd. A lot of football supporters groups are now running foodbanks because of the hardship in their local areas. As said though, this was going on long before Covid. On Merseyside for example, blues and reds have been together on this for several years with strong support from both football clubs as well, and they've helped many other supporters groups launch their own initiatives.

https://twitter.com/SFoodbanks

https://www.facebook.com/FansSupportingFooddbanks