Well, we have had Sal Paradise telling us that he hasn't had a pay rise in three years – so he will certainly be worse off.

His response, unfortunately, is that nobody else should have one if he can't – certainly not those nasty nurses and teachers, what with their gold-plated pensions, and those homecare workers with their massive expense accounts.

Whoa - I ask again for you to read what is written not what you want it to say. I have never said that because I haven't had a pay rise that nobody else should get one. If I have please show me where - otherwise show some class and retract the statement i.e. admit you where wrong.

So the second paragraph is just a figment of your warped imagination. As I has said before you sometimes behave like a child who doesn't get her own way - petty and immature, IMO you have a lot of growing up to do - being surrounded by the chattering classes on here does you no favours. No doubt Him, Mr Fish etc will jump to your defence security in numbers or perceived gravitas by association.

Not necessarily, if he/she has altered his/her outgoings. The crash (the only one, the one caused by the Labour party

) certainly made me alter my spending habits. Plenty of "Whoops" items in my freezer these days. In fact, I'm off to the supermarket in a bit for a bit of a rummage in the reduced section.


I think he/she is disputing that point.

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Meanwhile the ever-popular Ian Duncan Smith and his Dept for Work and Pensions continue to paint themselves into a corner on the topic of foodbanks and in particular their continued refusals to meet with one of the largest foodbank organisers The Trussell trust, preferring instead to blame foodbanks for the rise in foodbanks.

Indeed a DWP spokeswoman said "The Trussell Trust itself says it is opening three new foodbanks every week, so it's not surprising more people are using them."

So there you have it straight from the DWp themselves, its nothing to do with poverty or forcing the unwaged and low waged to turn to charity for the basic foodstuffs via the medium of turning off their benefits, its the fact that the Trussell Trust is expanding quicker than any of the well known supermarkets can keep up to - of course its obvious really isn't it, you open up a foodbank and people will come, not because they are in dire need but because you give them free food - why didn't we notice this before, all hail the DWP for pointing this out.

What they fail to acknowledge, spectacularly fail to acknowledge, time and again, and again, is that I (for instance) could not walk into a Trussell trust foodbank in the same way that I do with Asda and demand a food parcel of free basic foodstuffs, toilet paper and sanitary towels (yes, those also), and neither can anyone else - you have to be referred to them by a qualifying authority which could be a doctor, health visitor, social worker, CAB and even the police, and arrive at the door with a qualifying voucher where they are given three days supply of basic provisions and lots of free advice, and a cup of tea.

Its not a lifestyle choice as the delightful Mr Duncan Smith seems to think it is, its not an alternative to the weekly shop down at Waitrose and the Trussell trust aren't opening three new outlets a week (some of which will be very temporary units) because they have a gaggle of wealthy shareholders clamouring for more and more dividend from their investments - they are emergency support centres which they would be happy to point out to the DWP if only they'd meet with them, but when you have the head of the DWP walking out a few minutes into a Commons debate on the issue you can see the problem that poverty charities have when trying to deal with these self centred single minded buffoons.

So they should be banned?

Who ?

Foodbanks.

Why?

Just asking.

One question I have about foodbanks is do they ask for any evidence that the person coming for food is unemployed or otherwise strapped for cash to the point of not being able to afford food at a supermarket? I ask only because I wondered whether it was possible for a well off person or indeed a person actually able to afford to pay for food to walk in and just get some food without cost.

You have to be referred by one of several people, CAB, docs, social workers even the police.

See above.

And you can't go back another day and in Oliver Twist style ask for more, not unless you've been referred again, none of which is apparent to IDS or indeed anyone else at the DWP because they won't talk to the foodbank charities.