Claimants who’ve had their benefits cut or stopped and are forced to use food banks to survive is a ‘humanitarian issue’ that the Government are ignoring, according to an Oldham MP.
Debbie Abrahams, representative for Oldham East and Saddleworth, made the comments in the wake of data released by the Trussell Trust which shows that 60% of food bank use in Oldham, and 45% nationwide is due to claimants having their benefits cut.
Ms Abrahams was critical of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) over sanctions which may be handed to people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) for not fulfilling their agreement with the department.
Sanctions can include a reduction, or complete halting, of the benefits that a claimant is receiving, but they may not be appropriate for some people.
“They know that inappropriate sanctioning is damaging the physical health and mental well-being of tens of thousands of people across the UK – many of them vulnerable,” she said.
Speaking at the Work and Pensions Committee, Ms Abrahams went on to give the example of a woman who discharged herself from hospital early because she was worried about being sanctioned if she missed her JSA meeting.
Minister of State Esther McVey defended the department, saying that there are procedures in place to safeguard people who are vulnerable.
She said: “We look at our whole system, and we make sure through quality assurance, how have we helped people? How have we supported people? Are we doing the right things?
“And through the guidance we’ve got, how we check if people are vulnerable, there is a whole host of checks that an individual would do, an advisor would do, the work programme would do to ensure that we are best helping and supporting people, to ensure that people who are vulnerable are not sanctioned.”
She also said that the reasons people use food banks were ‘complex’, and that ‘to politicise (the issue) in the way that the honourable lady has done is incorrect’.
Ms Abrahams questioned the Minister of State over the issue at the DWP’s select committee enquiry on Wednesday, but was left without answers.
She said: “When faced with my question about food banks, and the fact that in my own constituency 60% of food bank usage is down to people being sanctioned, she won’t even answer the question because, suddenly, food banks shouldn’t be politicised.
“What could be more political than a government that is deliberately forcing people off social security, forcing them into poverty and the need to use food banks, and all so they can skew the unemployment data?”
The remarks came in the same week as the University of Manchester announced it would be leading research into tackling food insecurity and reducing food waste in the UK.
Project leader and lecturer on food insecurity Dr Kingsley Purdam said: “This project, working with front line service providers, represents a real opportunity for coordinated action that could make a real difference to the lives of people living in food poverty.
“The University of Manchester is committed to making a positive difference in the drive to tackle poverty and inequalities.”
The project will be a joint effort with several charities, including FareShare Greater Manchester which is dedicated to supporting communities to combat food poverty and food waste.
Development Manager for FareShare, Seb Sarayet, said that there is a real need to find out how people become affected by food insecurity.
He said: “We supply hundreds of tonnes of surplus food to over 130 charitable organisations who feed vulnerable people in Greater Manchester.
“However, giving food does not solve the problem.
“We need to do more to understand and address the underlying causes of food insecurity and poverty and working with the University and front line partners will help us to achieve this.”
Image courtesy of The Work Programme via YouTube, with thanks.