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did not know about the 3 times a year rule.i watched a progamme on tv. and the guy said he didnt have enough money for his sons birthday. in the end it turned out that it wasnt his sons birthday. what a con merchant he was...even working while still claiming benefits and free food. i think the 3 times a year rule is good..but i bet that will be abused by some.i agree with sylvialncanada the goverment will cut back, as cameron and co are now doing and will continue to do so. the mess (we are all in this together) will be with us for 10yrs or more.....
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3 x year is NOTHING ............... it does absolutely nothing to help the people who need it.
People over here are allowed to go every week to the Food Bank .......... they line up around the block to get in for their allowance of food per week, whether it be for 1 person, 2 people or a family.
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Where there are do-gooders who genuinely want to help, there will always scum who con there way into getting something they don't deserve. Sadly, it's human nature.
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Just found the following two reports in our local paper.
SINCE its launch in April 2005, Gloucester Foodbank has provided food assistance for more than 15,400 people – including 6,000 children under 16 – living in and around our city.
Gloucestershire has eight neighbourhoods among the bottom 10 per cent most deprived areas in England and five are in Gloucester itself.
Most of our clients come from these areas although the number of clients from areas thought to be relatively affluent has increased in recent months as austerity measures have started to bite.
Many of our clients have no financial safety net because they are on a low income and a sudden crisis such as bereavement, loss of employment or delayed wages often leaves them unable to feed themselves or their family.
These situations can quickly deteriorate, leading to relationship breakdown, house repossession or worse.
Gloucester Foodbank works to support local people who find themselves on the edge of disaster.
Our service caters for all age groups and ethnicities.
We partner with almost 90 agencies – from children's centres to Age UK – and more are asking to use us.
The agencies identify people lacking the funds to feed themselves and refer them to us through a voucher system.
There is a maximum of three food parcels to any individual or family in a six month period.
However, if the crisis is on-going and difficult to resolve, further support may be given.
The reason we have 40 volunteers working for us is because we meet people that are in need and feel we are doing something positive to alleviate it. We are providing something every human being needs for survival and we have been told by one of our agencies that the support we have given to their clients is "priceless", while another has described us as an "essential" service.
We collect our food through harvest festival offerings, local supermarket collections and from churches, local organisations and individuals and we rely on the public to support us by either donating food or funds.
Funds are needed for running costs such as rent, postage, telephone, one paid part-time member of staff and, on occasion, any food items we become short of.
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"I DON'T eat for four days a week just so my children have enough food."
Mum **********, from ********* (Glos), is struggling to make ends meet.
This festive season she said she will be forced to hide her sons' toys so she can give them out again as Christmas presents.
The 31-year-old even collapsed two weeks ago at her children's nursery after going for days without food and bearing the burden of such financial worry.
Doctors told her, despite her good health, she was close to having a heart attack due to the stress she is under as she fights a constant battle to feed little ****, three, and ******, 18 months.
It was after her recent scare she was handed a lifeline and referred to the Gloucester Foodbank.
"I was embarrassed and ashamed that I had to admit I needed handouts," said *****, who was made redundant from her £22,000 care job in September last year. I go without eating for days at a time, just to make the food last. Going to the Foodbank means we can all eat."
The ****** household has a monthly income of £1,400, with £900 going on the mortgage at their three bedroom house, and the rest is being evaporated by council tax, child care and bills.
"My husband ******** and I have had to sell everything we possibly can - our clothes, jewellery, toys. We are not putting the heating on at home, we have been close to losing our house. Our relationship has become very strained," she said.
And it is not just food ****** and ********, 31, cannot afford to buy.
"We won't be able to do Christmas this year," added ******, who currently has a part-time job to try and pay the bills.
"I have had to hide some of the boys' toys to use them as Christmas presents. We can't afford to go and see Father Christmas either.
"We can't take them to their friends' birthday parties because I can't afford to buy them presents. I am the only one not going to my work Christmas party because I can't afford it.
******, who has shed two and a half stone in the last month, said the Foodbank's help had been vital.
She said: "I have been twice now. They have been a lifeline to us.
"If we hadn't had the food parcels we wouldn't have eaten. I have now learned not to be embarrassed, they do amazing work."
The bit I am open mouthed at is the horrendous amount they pay for their mortgage a month, given that she was only earning £22000 when she was working.
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I wonder if kids understand. Thinking about "we hide the boy's toys away to give them as presents at Christmas"
I was spoilt as a boy but wnen I was about 8 there must have been a financial crisis.
My dad (who was an office clerk and not good at D-I-Y) tried to make me a home-made garage to house my Dinkies. I was not impressed as that was my main present.
My reaction must have upset my parents terribly. But same will happen in many households this Christmas. One mother said to me "I spent £300 last year, but have to try and budget within a total of £75 this year". And she has two lovely children. :-(
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I am sure some young children won't understand John. They will have gone from having almost everything they want to having almost nothing. Older children may understand but feel resentful which must exagerate the stress felt by the parents. I too remember one birthday when my Dad must have been out of work, when all I got for a birthday was a string of glass beads. Strangely when I said as much to my Mum once many years later, she didn't remember so must have pushed it out of her mind.
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