Trussell Trust says benefit delays and changes are driving the need for new food banks
The Conservative’s only MP in Scotland will open a foodbank in his constituency on Friday, amid growing controversy over his stance on food poverty.
The secretary of state for Scotland, David Mundell, will open the Trussell Trust Foodbank at Dumfries’ Apex Centre tomorrow despite arguing that growing food bank usage was not linked to welfare reforms.
In February, Mr Mundell used an appearance before Holyrood’s welfare reform committee to argue:
“The three issues that are most commonly raised in relation to foodbanks are sanctions, delays in benefit payments and low income. I do not accept that those three issues are welfare reform issues.”
The Trussell Trust press release announcing Mr Mundell’s visit to open the new foodbank however, has contradicted his remarks, arguing that welfare reform is causing hardship for families. Ewan Gurr, Scotland Network Manager for the Trussell Trust, has argued:
“Like many small rural towns, Dumfries has seen the impact of the rising cost of food and fuel, insecure nature of employment and welfare reform, which has created financial hardship for many individuals and families throughout the entire local authority of Dumfries & Galloway.
“The Trussell Trust is pleased to work with Apex Scotland given their shared commitment to partner with organisations working with people in crisis and complement the other food providers available in Dumfriesshire.”
Crucially, he continued:
“The new Dumfriesshire foodbank will provide nutritionally-balanced emergency food to people referred by local statutory and voluntary organisations, who will help tackle the underlying causes of poverty related primarily to benefit delays, benefit changes and low income.”
Ed Jacobs is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter
11 Responses to “Tory MP continues to defend welfare reforms…as he opens a new foodbank”
JAMES MCGIBBON
Do you think that welfare should be a bottomless pit! Are hard working taxpayers entitled to know what is happening to their tax. And you forget that the Tories are protecting pensioners.
Ednamcraver
Go to Our Community l e f o t o a d Online money
Keith M
They are a pretty heartless lot.
Patrick Nelson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivo5qMFqfmc&index=1&list=PLni7yG2fP-mcJnZP8_7uGfIat4wbzCBtr
Jerome Orff
I think that we need a new term for this level of spin – there is so much topspin on this ball that it has left the planet completely. Bonkers! It is on par with “we are the party of labour” and the adopting of Nye Bevan for sounbites! He and his cronies with their million pound donation machine to fund their armies of trolls and media flunkies will label such dissenting views as the babble of idiots and “left wing nutters” – but let’s just use some COMMON SENSE here… people go to foodbanks because they have fallen off the bottom already – CLEARLY (yes, the “clearly” word much adopted by spinners) this is a failure of the Benefits system to catch the genuinely needy.