It should be unthinkable now for people to go days without eating

THE CAMPAIGNER

IF SCOTLAND doesn’t have a shortage of food, why do so many people worry about going hungry?

The answer from A Menu for Change’s research is simple: low and irregular wages, combined with a social security system that too often fails to provide even a basic safety net.

People are pushed into food insecurity and don’t know if they will be able to afford their next meal.

It should be unthinkable in modern Scotland for people to go for days without eating. Or having to choose between paying for food or rent.

Food banks aren’t the long-term answer – they are JOHN DICKIE Child Poverty Action Group the symptom. If we are to stop the scandal of hunger, people need cash so they can buy the food they need rather than rely on emergency aid.

But zero-hour contracts and the “gig economy” mean people don’t know when their pay cheque is coming or how much it will be. It stops people from being able to plan.

We expect the benefits system to function as a financial cushion when people lose their job, become ill, suffer bereavement or need to care for a loved one. Yet, people have turned to food banks because they aren’t getting the benefits they should, or face delays in paying Universal Credit.

Amid these struggles what shines through is incredible resilience, and how the right advice and support can make a big difference. We must build on that resilience and listen to what people tell us works.

Ending the need for food banks will require action from every level of government, as well as those delivering public services, employers and charities. By acting together, we can end the need for anyone in Scotland to worry about how they will put their next meal on the table.