Erin Brown | Editor-in-Chief
With more and more people resorting to food banks as a means to feed themselves and their family, we ask why they should have to.
The fact that people are not getting the money they desperately need for basic necessities, such as food and toiletries, through no fault of their own, is a catastrophic circumstance. In 2014, a study revealed that over 20% of children in South Lanarkshire live in poverty. It is argued by many that this figure and others like it are caused by austerity, the recession and rising living costs. Due to those in need being unable to get government aid, they must turn to charities for relief.
The Trussell Trust say that that about 43% of those making use of the food banks require help due to benefit changes and delays. These are people that the government have identified as in need of state assistance, yet they are not receiving that help. Benefit delays mean that claimants are not being given their benefits on time which leads to a severe shortage of cash and their resorting to food banks. This outcome is also relevant for those who have to live on low income, they have to pay for other necessities, such as rent, and by doing so cannot afford to eat.
East Kilbride Community Food Bank now has five distribution bases. Loaves and Fishes revealed last year that 24.8% of children in East Kilbride South are living on a day to day basis and are handing out a minimum of 80 food parcels a week. The Trussell Trust’s Ewan Gurr comments that “Families have to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families”. Parents go without food, as they give all they can afford to their children but more often than not, this sacrifice is not enough. This shows that the government is clearly not doing enough for the most vulnerable of our society.
If a living wage were to be implemented as opposed to a minimum wage (£6.70/hr) which people simply cannot live off of, people could be pulled from the black hole of poverty. But this is yet to happen despite ceaseless campaigning.
If you are in need of aid or wish to make a difference in East Kilbride, please contact:
Loaves and Fishes, 15 Carron Place, Kelvin Industrial Estate, East Kilbride, G75 0YL
- Dennis Curran
- Email: enquiries@loavesandfishes.org.uk
- Phone: 07908006913 or 01355 224375
Calderwood Baptist Church, Maxwellton Road, Calderwood, East Kilbride, G74 3LW
- Linda MacKinnon
- Email: admin@calderwoodbaptist.co.uk
- Phone: 01355 247660
