[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by MTVN

I agree, there are various factors like increased awareness, more referrals, a more concerted effort on the part of some charities etc. that have boosted the number of food banks massively, it would always have snowballed so it can be a bit of a fallacy to argue, say, that because ten times more people are using food banks than 5 years ago that ten times more people are in poverty. Germany has many more food banks than the UK has. That is not necessarily a bad thing, Smudgie's point is a very fair one that their growth also demonstrates the strength of charity in this country.

I'm sorry that's not true more people are not using food banks because they're better advertised, it is because there are more referrals and that is due to the fact that medical/social and education professionals are worried about the health of an increasing number of people.
It cannot be argued that there are more people living in poverty, due to bedroom tax, council tax and sanctions it is not a fallacy.
What other countries do or don't do is irrelevant, we are not Germany.
Yes there is charity in this country, and that's fantastic to a point but is leaning on the already strained pockets of those in the local community the answer?...
Where is the government response? They can't cut and cut and cut and expect those who appreciate there's a problem to cope it's not a sustainable long term plan.
It's going to create more and more resentment.