Feeding Birkenhead this week extended its pioneering Food
Bank Plus service to the end of 2018.
The service involves a trained advisor from Involve
Northwest being present at the food bank each week to help put right the
problems that have led people to be hungry. The problems range from rent arrears and chronic debt, to
delays and stoppages in Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment & Support
Allowance, Universal Credit and tax credits.
Food Bank Plus has helped hundreds of people avoid having to
make repeat visits to the food bank, by resolving their crises there and then
during a first visit. Involve
Northwest’s latest figures show that in the three months to October, half of
the 381 people it helped through Food Bank Plus had their problems resolved
during a first visit.
In an ideal
world, of course, the service would not be necessary. But until the Government
is able to process and pay people’s benefit and tax credit claims accurately
and on time, it remains essential.
I am
therefore so encouraged that Feeding Birkenhead has found a way of countering
the delays and errors that have brought the food bank into play, and to have
restricted to a bare minimum the human damage caused by these delays and
errors. The service will remain a key part of our drive to make Birkenhead a
hunger-free town.
My next
surgery is at 5pm this Friday (25th November) at Birkenhead Town
Hall.
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