People should be trusted to choose how to feed themselves, but instead the government relies on food aid
Which would you prefer: a shopping bag of items you didn’t choose, or the money to buy what you need?
Most people living in poverty and accessing food banks don’t get asked this question. Last week, the government released guidance about how local authorities in England should distribute the household support fund – a one-off pot of £421m set aside by the Department for Work and Pensions to help people on low incomes meet basic needs as the country recovers from the pandemic this winter. However, by suggesting that local authorities use food banks as delivery partners, and promoting the use of vouchers instead of cash to avoid the “risk of fraud” and recipients buying things outside the “policy intent”, the guidance normalises food aid, rather than empowering individuals to make their own decisions.
Dr Rachel H Tribe is a clinical psychologist and food bank volunteer
