Listen to today's Woman's Hour broadcast from a Trafford South Foodbank

After the economic downturn, which way is up?

Duration: 58 minutes
First broadcast: Friday 31st January 2014
 

On Friday 31st January Woman's Hour and You & Yours will combine for two outside broadcasts examining the impact of the recession and the strength of the current recovery. For Woman's Hour Jenni Murray will be live from a food bank, surprisingly located in the relatively affluent suburb of Timperley in Cheshire. She's joined by guests to discuss if the recession is over for women and also to meet people for whom the economic downturn has brought a new lease of life. At noon Peter White will be in Liverpool at the new Central Library. The Library has been built in partnership with private funding and the City Council is committed to fund it - meaning there is even less money for other council priorities.

Click here to listen to the Womans Hour broadcast

Newsletter: January 2014

Our latest newsletter is now available. Click here to take a look. You can sign up to receive this by email on our website. It is published four times a year. Take a look now to find out what's been happening at West Cheshire Foodbank. Thanks!

We're looking for Two New Trustees

Role 1: Trustee with responsibility for Finance (Voluntary Position)

 

Role 2: Trustee with responsibility for Food Collection, Storage and Delivery (Voluntary Position)

 

Hours: Average of 5 hours per week. Expected attendance at monthly Trustee meetings included

 

Location: Multiple sites across Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston

 

West Cheshire Foodbank was established by a group of Church Leaders to provide emergency food to people in crisis. Part of the Trussell Trust network of Foodbanks, we have provided three days of emergency food to 4300 people since we opened in November 2012. As a result of growing demands for the services we provide, we are now looking for two new people to join the Board of Trustees, who can take responsibility for key areas of our work. We are looking for one person will take responsibility for food collection, storage and delivery and for another person who will take responsibility for our finances. Please take a look at our website for more details of our work. Visit www.westcheshire.foodbank.org.uk.

 

If you are interested in joining our board and contributing to the work that we do in this way please send a C.V. and covering letter FAO Alec Spencer. Role descriptions are available on request. These should be emailed to devofficer@westcheshire.foodbank.org.uk. These should not jointly exceed two sides of A4. If you have any questions please contact Alec.

 

Fit to Work? Chris's Story

"While he was visiting us recently, Chris told us he has lived rough for the last 9 months. Although his G.P.  assessed him to be unfit for work after he suffered from a second stroke, the DWP deemed that this was not the case. He has begun the appeal process with support from the agency that referred him to us: this involved completing a 52 page document and took over 2 hours. Chris hasn't had any money since mid-December but came to the Foodbank for the first time as he felt he could no longer ask his friends for support."

Our thanks to Chris for sharing this with us. Sadly, his situation is not uncommon. Speaking during the recent Commons debate on Welfare Reform and Poverty, Michael Meacher  MP argued that one contributory factor to rising absolute poverty has been "the way in which tens of thousands of severely disabled persons have been judged by Atos, the French IT company, as fit for work ... when they are patently unfit for work. Very often, their GP has not been consulted to inquire whether there are other factors that need to be taken into account". A report compiling further information regarding work capability assessments can be found here.

Love, Joy and Hope? Joe's Story



Joe recently visited one of our Foodbanks for the first time. He had just been sanctioned because he was told to complete a job search on 25/12/13 and 01/01/14. He was asked by the Jobcentre why he had not looked for jobs on Christmas Day and on New Years Day and was then sanctioned for 4 weeks. He is now anxious he will be unable to pay his rent.

Joe was referred to us by a statutory agency that has worked closely with him for some time and has verified that they understand the account given above to be accurate. Joe has now applied for a Hardship Payment but will not find out what decision has been made about this for another 5 days. He said he felt disillusioned with the support provided by the Jobcentre: "I came from college and didn't know where to start [looking for work]. I needed advice but there's nothing. For young people there's no support. They [the Jobcentre] get me in and out as fast as possible." Joe has considered asking for advice on appealing against the decision to sanction him but was concerned about repercussions: "I don't want to appeal. If I do it they might sanction me further. I can't go on with no money". 

Our thanks go to Joe for sharing his circumstances with us.

Jessica's Story

"We're paying pack a loan from the DWP of £48 a fortnight and we are struggling. I had to come here [Foodbank] today because of that and on top of this our Child Tax Credits have stopped. They said I hadn't got in touch with them, but I had. My 17 year old son is at college. My husband has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and I have Diabetes and we can't go without heating and hot water, so we spent all our money on gas and electric and then we had nothing left for food. Many thanks for having this place open, we would be without food for another week if this place wasn't here." 

Our thanks to Jessica, who shared this while visiting one of our Foodbank centres.

Stuart's Story

Stuart visited one of our Foodbank sessions for the first time last week. He told me simply that the reason he was there was “out of sheer desperation. There’s no alternative. When you can’t afford food you think where do I go, what do I do now? I didn’t know which way to turn but then someone told me to go to Citizens Advice. I didn’t know about Foodbanks”. Gesturing to the food one of our volunteers had packed for him he commented: “this food will really help me out. It’ll last a while as well. I’m so used to not eating that I can make it stretch out for ages.”

I asked Stuart why he couldn’t afford food. “I’ve haven’t got any wages coming in. I’m on ESA*. I’ve been claiming for three years because of sickness. I had a nervous breakdown and the doctor said I couldn’t work in that condition. The amount I get on benefits just isn’t enough to live on. Benefits need to be at a level where you can buy things, proper things.”

Stuart’s income is £64 per week (£128 per fortnight). “I’ve got about £70 quid to live on until a week on Tuesday. I used to go the club on a Tuesday. I don’t do that anymore; I can’t afford it, I just drink squash now. It doesn’t stretch far enough. You’ve got toiletries, clothes; bills are going up all the time. I went behind on the rent. You’re never out of it. I don’t spend it on booze and fags but I just can’t make it stretch.”

“When I’m really hungry, I sometimes go round to my mum’s for a cup of tea and a piece of toast but I don’t like doing it. I feel too proud to ask her for more. I feel safe when I’m there and I know she understands my situation but when she offers me food, I can’t take it. I don’t think it’s fair, she offered me her last five pound note recently. I said no: it would be like robbing a pensioner. All this greedy government cares about is taking your money. The first thing you gave me was food. You actually helped me. You wouldn’t get anything like that from them [referring to the Jobcentre]. They think you’re scum when you’re not working, but the majority of us are people with genuine problems. I’ve not been sanctioned yet, but I’m waiting, it’s bound to happen because they’re being too heavy handed with people. There’s no fix for this.”

Stuart volunteers at a local charity shop for one day a week and is looking for full time work but says ‘there’s nothing out there’. He hasn’t been on holiday for more than five years and misses being able to go out for the day: “I used to like doing things like going to the zoo”.

Stuart asked me to share his story. He hoped that by sharing it, someone else in a similar position might find out that support was available and be able to access it. We hope so too. Please do share this story and help ensure that everyone knows that West Cheshire Foodbank is here and that we’ll do what we can to support you if you’re in a crisis.

*ESA stands for Employment and Support Allowance

Adrian & Ruth's Story

"My wife has been on DLA¹ (first level, both elements) for a few years. We were claiming JSA³  - a joint claim. But when I was diagnosed with colorectal² cancer my doctor gave me a sick note for three months, which meant switching to ESA⁴. Because I didn't go for conventional treatment I couldn't be fast-tracked to the higher rate.

JSA included a payment of £42/week because of my wife's DLA claim. However, because there isn't an equivalent payment within ESA there is now a shortage of £42 per week.

 

There are natural 'food' elements that are good for fighting cancer, but we are struggling to pay bills and afford even basic foods."

Our thanks to Adrian for sharing this whilst visiting one of our Food Distribution Centres.

Notes:

 

¹ DLA stands for Disability Living Allowance
 ² Colorectal Cancer is also called cancer of the bowel or bowel cancer.

 ³ JSA stands for Jobseekers Allowance

 ⁴ ESA stands for Employment and Support Allowance
 

Thank you to the very generous staff at M&S Bank

A big thank you to the very generous staff at M&S Bank for their donations of food over the past month. Thanks also for giving your time and volunteering to work for a day in the warehouse packing Christmas bags for people in our community who need our help. That week was particularly busy and the extra help was greatly appreciated.