Food banks: System is failing people at the worst point in their lives, say food bank organisers
‘Mitigate 5-week wait for Universal Credit and tackle long delays in immigration system’
Food bank organisers and people who have to use them are urging Scotland’s politicians to strengthen the net for people in crisis.
They say the system as it stands just does not meet the needs of people who find themselves hungry and in hardship.
Edinburgh Food Project (EFP) runs seven food banks across the city and a Money Advice Service for people in hardship. Last year it gave out over 18,000 food parcels to people experiencing hunger and destitution and helped over 1,000 people with advice.
And organisers expect more and more people coming to them for help due to rising food costs and the increasing cost of living.
Today we tell the stories of two people, Sharon and Bob, who turned to the food project for help after hitting big problems in their lives.
They are both members of EFP’s Experts by Experience panel, which organised a hustings to put their questions to election candidates about what they would do to improve things if they were elected.
Colin Campbell, the charity’s development lead, said: “At their point of crisis, the system let them down. At the worst point of their lives, when they were least able to cope, it felt like the system was punishing them rather than responding with care.
“In both cases, the solution to their crisis was not clear. They found it hard to know what they were entitled to. This is what is driving people to our foodbanks.
“EFP believes that the solution is for public services to treat people with dignity and compassion. We want to see a social security system that acts as a safety net for people in crisis - a system that ensures everyone in Scotland can afford the essentials.
“In particular, we want the new Scottish Parliament to mitigate the five-week wait for Universal Credit, and to find a solution to the destitution faced by many people facing long delays in the immigration system.
“In an affluent country like Scotland, food banks should not have to exist. No one should go hungry because they can’t afford to eat. But because the system does not meet the needs of people in crisis, we have to be there to help.
“We know that most people in Edinburgh are really concerned about the levels of poverty in our city. That’s why we want the new parliament to strengthen the safety net for people in crisis, as a priority.
“No one chooses to lose their job or become ill. These are things that can happen to anyone of us. People who fall on hard times shouldn’t have to turn to foodbanks to feed themselves or their family. Right now, many don’t have a choice because that social safety net isn’t working. We know what the solutions are, we just need the new parliament to act. ”