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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Other areas of social welfare law  →  Thread

Are DWP policies to blame for the sharp rise in the use of food banks?

shawn mach
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Ministers have secretly drawn up plans to investigate whether the government’s own policies are to blame for the sharp rise in the use of food banks, the Guardian has learned.

Two of the most senior officials at the Department for Work and Pensions have been tasked with overseeing the study, according to a draft proposal, which is marked: “Official - Sensitive”.

The four-page document, dated June 2018, says a key objective of the proposed research is “to identify any areas of DWP policy or operational practice that may have contributed to a rise in demand for food bank services”.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/01/revealed-ministers-plan-to-research-effect-of-policies-on-food-bank-use

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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Are DWP policies to blame for the sharp rise in the use of food banks?

Yes, next question…..

neilbateman
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No of course not.  Welfare reform is all going terribly well and people are only attracted to food banks by the free food on offer.

Seriously, let’s not forget there are many people out there who believe this sort of statement.

Stainsby
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Welfare rights adviser - Plumstead Community Law Centre

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It seems strange to me that the question should even be asked in those terms.

The question to me is why am I not surprised that there has been a sharp rise?

I don’t remember food banks or anything of the kind existing before 1984, and that was when we collected food and money for the striking miners.