#Benefit delays main cause of #foodbank use, experts find - @UoMNews @ManchesterSU @EAPNEurope @CitizensAdvice #FoodInsecurity and #malnutrition in the UK is a much wider problem than has been recognised, according to experts from the The University of Manchester. They also found that the main reason for referring a person to a foodbank was a delay in benefit payments. Dr Kingsley Purdam says the demand for foodbanks is underestimated with large numbers of people thought to be at risk of malnutrition in the UK. Many older people also face food insecurity. The rapid growth in the number of foodbanks and food donation points in supermarkets suggests a ‘normalisation’ of #FoodAid. 10 Downing Street spends an estimated £13 billion on disease-related malnutrition each. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has identified better nutrition as one of the key cost-saving initiatives for the NHS. Dr Purdam said: “In political and media debates foodbank users have been variously described as being: ‘opportunists’, ‘not able to cook or budget’ and ‘living like animals’. Yet evidence from the Citizens Advice suggests that the main reported reason for referring a person to a foodbank was a delay in benefit payments. “Moreover, the research suggests that people using foodbanks have a clear understanding of the costs of food and are limited in how they could change their financial circumstances. Many people were reluctant to use a foodbank because of the stigma and embarrassment. Grandparents and parents reported skipping meals so their children could eat, and also stated that they were not able to afford to have their children’s friends around for tea.”
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 19:56:14 +0000
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