More Scots forced to use food banks
'Often mum and dad will go without food so the children
can be fed'
Thousands of Scottish people are being forced to use food banks
because they can't afford to eat.
The number of people asking for food parcels from charities has
doubled in the last two years.
Job losses, wage cuts and problems with benefit payments have
been blamed, along with rising food prices.
"Often mum and dad will go without food so the children can be
fed," said Ewen Gurr from the Trussell Trust, a charity which feeds
around 6,000 Scots a year.
The problem is widespread and is hitting families that have
never needed help before.
"The need is everywhere … What we want to say to them is not to
feel a sense of indignity," Mr Gurr added.
The UK, along with the rest of Europe and other parts of the
world, has been suffering an economic crisis since 2008. It started
with the credit crunch, when many banks ran out of money after
getting into too much debt. Now, we are in what is called a
double-dip recession. That means that, for the second time since
2009, the overall amount of money that the country is making is
shrinking rather than growing.
All of this has meant that many people have lost their jobs, or
have had to accept pay cuts. Many people who don't have jobs have
had to make do with less money from the government in benefit
payments. Meanwhile, fuel and food bills have been rising and the
overall cost of living has gone up.
Charities that run food banks in Scotland, including the
Trussell Trust, the Salvation Army, and St Vincent de Paul, are all
reporting a rise in the number of people needing their help.
The government says that it provides benefits to cover the costs
of housing and food as well as emergency crisis loans if people are
in trouble.
But Citizen's Advice Scotland says people can only get a maximum
of three crisis loans a year and for many people this is not
enough.
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More Scots forced to use food banks
Case study: how one family came to rely on a food bank
to survive
Barbara Hill already knew about the Dundee Foodbank, because she
attends the church where it is based. "It never crossed my mind
that we would have to use it," she says. "I'm 45 and my husband,
Steve, is 50: we've worked all our lives. I can't tell you how it
feels to have no money at all for food."
But in the last five months there have been days when they have
gone hungry, so they have now joined an estimated 129,000 people
across the UK forced to turn to food banks for help.
The number of people relying on food banks has doubled in the
last two years, according to Citizens Advice Scotland.
The Trussell Trust, which runs a network of food banks, is
already helping to feed 6,000 people in Scotland. Last year the
trust donated food to 2400 people in Dundee, 3362 in the Highlands
and 375 people at its centre in Glasgow, which opened in
December.
The Hills find thinking about their future unbearable. Last year
their daughter Rebecca returned to her parents' home with her
two-year-old son William when her marriage broke down.
"We were sad for her but glad to be of help," says Barbara. "I'm
a qualified hotel cleaner and Steve is a security guard and at that
time he was bringing in up to £1,500 a month, so when my job
finished we were still fine and coping." They had always been
careful with money, so rent and bills were up to date, she
says.
"When Rebecca came to live with us last October there was a real
mix up over her tax credit and child benefit which left her without
money for over five months. We would have managed to juggle things
till it got sorted out, but then Steve was diagnosed as having
crumbling bones in his neck in January and went on to statutory
sick pay so our income has gone down to £360 a month.
"We're now entitled to housing benefit and council tax benefit
but that took months to sort out and there were days when the three
adults in the house didn't eat - to make sure wee William wasn't
going hungry. Then the tenancy support team at Abertay Housing
Association visited us and referred us to the food bank.
"The first couple of times I went I was a bit embarrassed but I
was so grateful. Every penny we get is accounted for and things
like nappies are so expensive. Living like this is
heartbreaking.
"We can't afford to visit our daughter in Coventry - my
grandchildren say, 'Please come Nana' and I say, 'I will when I'm
on my feet again' but I don't know when that will be."
Steve can no longer work and Barbara has searched everywhere for
a job, she says, but without success. "Rebecca's hoping to start
training as a hairdresser in September and all three of us talk
endlessly about the future but can't look calmly beyond next week.
I never thought this could happen to us."
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