Is anyone not using a food bank?

[LadyOnArooftop]

I rolled my eyes when I heard that nurses were using food banks. I did see a photo in the paper of a nurse in the street wearing her uniform... spreading germs! She was coming out of a food bank carrying a bag of shopping, well staged or what? But I was incredulous when I heard teachers and firefighters were having to use food banks. This is just getting silly now.
Food banks were set up to help poor people who were in dire need and not for people earning £30k+ When exactly did food banks become weaponised just to score political points?

 

[Andyfromleigh1981]

as a guy who actually worked at a food bank (the brick works its a charity that helps homeless and stuff) the cost of living has tripled in last 3 years some folk exploit it but imo the companys that make produce food charge to much. my local mp andy burnham is trying get rid of food banks and there re branding them as food hubs im anti capitalist and ainti corporations n anti government they say dont hate the player blame the game but yea i hate the game

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

I need to explain this.....

Public workers have high mandatory pension contributions

See:

Understand how much you'll pay | New Starter | Teachers' Pensions

Your contributions are based on the amount you earn each month, so if you earn more in a month than you earned the previous month your contributions may go up.

www.teacherspensions.co.uk

They also have student loans to repay

Student Loan Calculator

Calculate your Student Loan Repayments, debt you will graduate with and more, for Plan 1, 2, 4, 5 and Postgraduate loans.

www.student-loan-calculator.co.uk

So a new teacher loses about 10% of there income.

A teacher on 30k per year is down about 12%.

Its also the same for nurses.

So if your paying income tax and national insurance on 30k

Your gross would be £2500 per month
National insurance would £174
Income tax £248
Student loan £76
Pension £215
Pension HMRC £43

Take home pay would be £1787 per month.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/tax-calculator/

You can take off another £150 for council tax

Before you even start paying bills like rent or travel you only end up with £1637

Most UC claimants get round £1100 per month in the south.

I'm not surprised first year teachers or nurses are using food banks. I talk to a first year teacher last year who told me she was better off as a student. Makes you think don't it

I'm not too happy being fact-checked to death Carry on like that and you'll have me banging on about how uneducated I am!
I've always thought that to go to a food bank you first have to be eligible by being on benefits, and secondly someone has to refer you. So notwithstanding the excellent points you make, I just don't see how nurses/teachers/firefighters etc would qualify. However I shall yield to your superior knowledge.

 

[Andyfromleigh1981]

I thought Andy Burnham was Mayor, not an MP since 2017?

i though he was both but yea he is mayor of manchester n a complete dick wad only out for himself

 

[Kev1n]

I have used a food bank and I highly commend what they do and I know beggars cannot be choosers but it was not for me. Pasta, UHT milk, tins of tomatoes, maybe I just went when there when stock was getting low but to be honest I could survive on just toast. Not very healthy but it does fill you up when there is not much else. Shocking when you have worked and paid your taxes all your life, when what you get when illness strikes is far from survivable. I always put an item in the food bank bin when I can and always give food to the animal charities when I can too. One tin is not a lot but I know they are thankful.

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

A free launderette has opened up in my town, yes free, you read that correctly. It's run by the Emmaus homeless charity. The service is not just for the homeless, anyone who needs it can use it, you just need to book in advance. I just hope this kindness doesn't get abused by the usual freeloaders. You know the ones, they'll turn up in a car with bags of washing, the same vultures that use food banks for their weekly shop.