We have entered a New Year and by general consensus, things are going to get a lot tougher. It is fairly clear that we are at the beginning of a long phase of pruning the Benefits System: even at the start of this phase, many people are not able to buy food for their families.
Today, Parliament votes on a 1% Cap on the Benefits System; more people will be put into an impossible position.
These people will be presented with 3 options: steal, take food hand-outs from charities or insist on the Government alleviating the hunger of the people.
A lot of people fought for Universal Suffrage for many years. We currently have a Health Service that is the envy of the world. Both events were all-inclusive. This inclusivity, is now being tested with Income Caps on Child-benefit to counteract the Cap on the Benefit System. Where should the Capping stop? What can be done to help those who are the target of the on-going cuts in the Benefits System?
In the same way that we can view our Aristocracy in 2 ways; they have huge inherited wealth-bad: their estates preserve the countryside-good, we can view our Food Distribution system in 2 ways. That it has ruined our town centres and village life and is a hugely wasteful system, are undeniable, but the inherent wastage in the system could be changed to the benefit of our citizens.
With the approval of David Cameron and others, local supermarkets are already delivering stock, just about to reach its sell-by date, to Food banks like the Trussell Trust, for distribution to the poor and needy. We have seen with the 2012 Olympics what is possible. The Government should act now to ensure that the Supermarkets and Fast Food chains are required to release food that would otherwise go to fill landfill sites, to the poor who could starve without it.
I propose.
1. Supermarkets and Fast Food sites should be given tax-breaks for eliminating waste and not skipping food and filling landfill sites.
2. Supermarkets should set aside areas in their shops for people to collect food on a voucher system and to make deliveries direct to those who can't travel.
3. There should be a fast track system for helping those who have insufficient benefits or who have had their benefits suspended for any of a number of reasons.
Whilst many people are wary of accepting charity, they would be happier to accept food that was their right. In this way we could take a huge step to move back towards inclusivity. Willie Giles 08/01/13
