70 years ago after the war Britain was looking to change people lives by introducing the welfare state: the National Health Service was introduced, new houses were built and municipal swimming pools and leisure centres were opened. We thought this would have been an end to poverty. Who would have thought that70 years later, in this day and age there are people who are starving and struggle so much that they have to go to food banks to receive food. Food banks are very popular in Britain. These differ from food banks where hungry families or people will go to receive a parcel of food. There is also a homeless shelter where homeless people will go to get off the streets and try getting a good night’s sleep. People often jump to the conclusion that those who have to go to food banks are scroungers. But the reality tells a different story. Most people who use them do it for reasons of desperation. For many benefit sanctions can plunge families into financial crisis, hunger, and dependency on food banks for up to half a year, far longer than the period for which they have had payments stopped Sanctions are imposed for breaches of benefit conditions, typically missing appointments or failing to carry out enough job searches. The majority result in benefits being stopped for four weeks, although …show more content…
Trussell Trust food banks provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK. Last year the Trust's UK food bank network fed over 128,000 people. All food that food banks receive is both donated by the public or else supermarkets and sorted by volunteers. The people who visit food banks will receive three days of nutritionally balanced food in exchange for their food voucher. Food banks also make time to speak to the people who visit to help them find other helpful