In his latest blog for Caerphilly Observer, Plaid Cymru South Wales East AM, Steffan Lewis speaks about the rising increase in use of food banks.
Huge increase
This week, new figures were released by the Trussel Trust showing just how many people in Wales have had to turn to a food bank over the last year. 41,384 food parcels were distributed in Wales, 2,529 in Caerphilly alone. 1,061 of those were given to children.
The huge increase in food bank use is one of the clearest signs that our society just isn’t working for everyone. The numbers in need of emergency food supplies has been growing with each year. For those who are experiencing a crisis, they are a lifeline. But Wales is a constituent part of the fifth wealthiest country in the world, it is not right that rising numbers of people should be going hungry because they can’t afford to eat.
Reviewing the system
The most common reason given for needing an emergency food parcel is a failure in the benefits system. A delayed benefit payment or a change to the amount you’re given can be devastating for those who are already on the breadline. We need a system that is fair and that works properly. Not one that is riddled with delays, errors and injustices.
Meanwhile, for 25% of those referred to food banks, it is low pay that causes the problem. People living in poverty, despite being in work, feels profoundly unfair. This is what recent figures showing a falling unemployment rate hide: a growing segment of people who are trapped in low paid, insecure work where the hours vary from week to week.
I want to thank all the volunteers who work hard in food banks across Wales, and everyone who donates money or food supplies. No one in our society should be in a situation where they cannot afford to eat, but at least, thanks to the Trussel Trust and other organisations like it, there is help available if they do.
Mr Lewis – what we need is for Welsh councils to stop increasing council tax by huge amounts year in year out, then perhaps families will have a but more money in their pockets to spend on essentials like food, for most Welsh families this is a crippling bill to pay each month. For Welsh councils to hike council tax every year is profoundly unfair when the Welsh Government were given millions to freeze council tax like they did in England, but did they? No they squirreled away the money to safeguard their own jobs, so stop bleating on about the increase in food bank usage and give Welsh families a break from the relentless increase in their council tax bills.
I do agree that council tax is a massive bill for poorer households, particularly those who had the foresight to save when they were in better times and cannot get relief because they have ‘too much’ saved.
Steffan does make sense when he mentions that being in work is no guarantee of not being poor. The low paid people of Wales, usually with no perks, no security of employment and no prospect of better times ahead are worse off than those who do nothing but claim benefits.
Naturally there are many for whom there is no choice, the chronically ill for instance. For others it is just a way of life, I know people who were in school with me who have either never worked or have spent only short periods in employment.
My reply was mysteriously deleted….was it because I used the L word or maybe it was because I questioned the accuracy of the figures given by the UK’s largest food bank franchise who are perhaps rapidly expanding to promote themselves and not necessarily to meet demand, seems Mr Lewis can share his propaganda but we can’t question it.
Yours won’t be the first response that disappears mysteriously. The reason is political correctness, I won’t add the usual ‘gone mad’ because political correctness is stupid to start with. It prevents debate in our universities with anyone the Student’s Union leadership does not like; for example.
As to your point about the reson for the expansion of food bank franchises I have no idea, but you are right to ask the question. When we are expected to uncritically believe what our politicians say we become no different to the old Soviet Union.