Scandal of man with no cash for four weeks
Foodbank stepped in to aid when benefits halted
A Wishaw foodbank boss this week revealed the continuing fight against hunger in the town with one man being forced to struggle for four weeks with no cash.
Basics Food Bank chief David Shaw made the plight of an unnamed man known as he will be forced to wait a month before he received payment from his new Universal Credit benefit.
Last Wednesday evening, David posted to Basics Facebook page: “Today I sat with a man who disclosed that he broke down and cried when he was told that he would not be getting any Universal Credit payment from February 4 to March 4.
“This man who has been coming around the foodbank on and off for the last few months is showing the effects of not getting answers and more worrying saying he wonders if he is going to be around come March!
“We do what we can to build him up but it very quickly gets “knocked” out of him when people don’t get back to him when they say they will.
“We told him we will support him with food parcels until it gets sorted out.”
The man’s case has now been referred to the North Lanarkshire Financial Inclusion Team and his own welfare officer.
North Lanarkshire’s Scottish Welfare Fund, which provide a safety net when someone experiences an emergency situation, has one of the largest demands for crisis grants across Scotland.
David added: “There is a knock-on effect from these sanctions.
“As well as the obvious physical side of people struggling with little food, it can really affect the mental health of people.
“We see a lot of people with mental health anxieties because of the situation they have found themselves in.
“Welfare officers are essential because they can give people a bit of confidence as they are acting on their behalf.
“The SWF should be that person’s first port of call but a lot of people tell us they are not aware that such a fund exists.
“We need to get that information out there because it can give people a bit of hope.”
A knock-on effect from these sanctions . . .