MASS dependence on food emergency parcels is “an ethical scar on our society”, the General Synod heard during a passionate and informed debate on foodbanks and the inadequacy of social security on Monday.
The Archdeacon of Sheffield, the Ven. Malcolm Chamberlain, introduced a motion from his diocese which called on the House of Bishops urgently to have interaction with the Government to review the adequacy of current social security provision.
Britain was not a poor nation incapable of caring for its most vulnerable residents, Archdeacon Chamberlain said. Currently, amongst the most important contributions to social welfare were being made by churches and others through the supply of foodbanks.
“Poverty is causing an excessive amount of suffering and damage for us to easily accept it as an unavoidable inevitability despite the financial challenges,” he said. “Public policy must go further upstream to deal with the basis causes.
“In their election manifesto — now the premise for presidency policy — we read that Labour is committed to reviewing Universal Credit in order that it makes work pay and tackles poverty. So now we now have a novel opportunity to work with this recent Government to make this commitment a reality.”
He recounted the sobering experience of visiting a church-run food- and clothing bank. It was operating from a humid basement in a housing block on one in all Sheffield’s most economically deprived housing estates. People were queuing within the wind and rain for the fundamental necessities, he said, which were being crammed into every available space.
“We can and we must do higher as a nation. These church-run initiatives are indeed excellent news, but surely the very incontrovertible fact that they’re needed is nothing in need of a scandal.”
Stark figures from the Trussell Trust and others showed the extent of foodbank use, with the full variety of emergency food parcels issued last yr estimated to be near six million. The Children’s Society expected the number of youngsters living in poverty within the UK to achieve five million this yr.
“The current level of 4.3 million implies that a median of nine children in every school class of 30 reside in poverty, with the associated health problems, lack of opportunity, and increased vulnerability to exploitation from criminal gangs,” Archdeacon Chamberlain said.
Many of the contributors to the talk were practitioners running foodbanks, family support, or homelessness charities. The Revd Claire McArthur (Coventry) said that town’s foodbanks had fed 18,000 people within the previous yr, and church-based initiatives included clothing rails in town centre. Rent increases, food hikes, and utility bills had all resulted in messages from desperate people saying: “I actually have nothing. Can your church help me?”
Contributors talked about initiatives equivalent to social supermarkets, where a small fee took away the stigma of needing support; and Fareshare, which distributed food from supermarkets which might otherwise have been thrown out.
One of probably the most powerful contributions got here from the Revd Jonathan Macy (Southwark), who said: “You must name an issue to have it solved.” More than half of households with a disabled person in them were below the poverty line, he said, speaking of “a vortex where individuals with disabilities are over-concentrated in areas of poverty. Churches with the bottom resources are working with the best and most complex needs. What they do on a shoestring is staggering.”
Michaela Suckling (Sheffield) spoke of the impact of food insecurity on each mental and physical health, which increased the danger of chronic disease and diabetes, she said. “Some people have experienced panic attacks during shopping in case they don’t manage to pay for,” she said. “Some foodbank users reject fresh vegetables because they will’t afford to cook them. Church, allow us to take daring motion.”
Sam Atkins/Church TimesThe Revd Chantal Noppen (Durham)
The Revd Chantal Noppen (Durham) moved an amendment which called for the introduction of the Essentials Guarantee (News, 29 February), which might tie the speed of advantages to the fee of basic essentials. “The impact of the cost-of-living crisis is just not experienced evenly,” she said. “The guarantee is an extra step towards acknowledging we care and that everybody must have the identical opportunity to flourish. . . Those with resources proceed to get and receive more. We needs to be offering abundance, the larger picture, and addressing why individuals are hungry. Let’s seek not only equality, but an equitable society. This would move us closer to the loving, generous care the Church should uphold.”
The Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, supported the guarantee wholeheartedly, and had asked questions in Parliament about it. “It beggars belief but, for therefore a few years, we’ve seen efforts to alleviate poverty not based on reality,” he said, naming one example as “reasonably priced” rents set at 80 per cent of the market value. “Keep on raising the advantages level based on what it actually costs to live on this country,” he urged.
Dr Sarah Batts-Neale (Chelmsford), who ran a debt centre in Colchester, said that her client base had modified completely. She had seen the extent of debt increasing and said: “You can’t make a straightforward budget when you don’t know what your income goes to be. An Essentials Guarantee would go an extended method to helping clients with unsustainable debt because of low income.”
The Revd Eleanor Robertshaw (Sheffield) desired to discuss periods: “There are women in our society who can’t afford sanitary protection. It is an absolute scandal,” she said. “We needs to be so ashamed that this is going on in our society. Call on the Government to be sure that women don’t have to beg for a human right.”
The amendment was passed. Another amendment moved by the Revd Mae Christie (Sothwark) was also carried. It called on the Lords Spiritual to encourage the brand new Government to finish to the two-child profit limit, which “disadvantages families and forces large numbers of youngsters into the usage of food banks or to otherwise go hungry”.
Penny Allen (Lichfield) had spent her working life in schools. She described the image today: some schools with only 78-per-cent attendance, “partly because of poverty, inadequate food and sleeping arrangements”; teachers funding breakfast clubs; children falling asleep within the afternoon and others needing to sit down down in PE; some stealing food from shops and from other children in school; and schools now washing children’s clothes.
“If all of us work together in civil society, we can have more effect,” she said. “Ask your local councils whether or not they’re supporting the food banks. Mine has paid for meals at £1 per child within the local pub or café.”
Martin Auton-Lloyd (Chichester) ran a family support charity with its own food bank. Increasing advantages was only the beginning for what he called “the chaotic families” — “It’s not their fault. There are many fundamental systems to be addressed,” he said.
Denis Tully (Southwell & Nottingham), chief executive of a homelessness charity, said that probably the most vulnerable people struggled to access the welfare system in any respect. Its shortcomings encompassed systemic issues, which exaggerated vulnerability.
“The system might be lengthy and bureaucratic, leaving individuals with no access to financial reserves, leading them to food banks or loan sharks,” he said. “Without support, a system can punish you. To access advantages, you would like access to a pc or smart phone.”
Synod voted through the amended motion: 274 in favour; one against, with no abstentions:
That this Synod, mindful that the Fourth Mark of Mission of the Anglican Communion is to “transform unjust structures of society”,
- note the key contribution to social welfare being made by the churches and others in the supply of food banks
- note with concern that levels of dependence on food banks have been increasing and that inflation is making the situation even worse
- note further that 2/3rds of those that use food banks have disabilities or long-term health conditions, who find it nearly unattainable to navigate the advantages system and be supported adequately, and so applaud the incredible ministry and example of those churches and others who tirelessly run food banks, whilst lamenting and acknowledging the incredible personal and financial cost to this, which is driving some organisations to breaking point
- imagine that this dependence reflects serious inadequacies within the social security system
- note that the Trussell Trust has said: ‘We stand on the sting of a precipice with a transparent decision to make: either we accept food banks as a “recent normal” or we work to create a more dignified, compassionate and humane society where everyone has enough money for essentials
- welcome the Chancellor’s intervention to assist the least well off households with their energy bills but note this may not remove the issue of increased dependency on food banks
- call on the House of Bishops to urgently engage with HM Government, particularly the Secretary of State, to press it to review the adequacy of current social-security provision, and consider the feasibility of introducing an Essentials Guarantee
- believing that all children are a present from God and bear the image of Christ, urge the House of Bishops and particularly the Lords Spiritual, to make use of every opportunity available to them to have interaction with the brand new Government and strongly encourage them to do every little thing possible to bring about a direct end to the two-child profit limit, which disadvantages families and forces large numbers of youngsters into the usage of food banks or to otherwise go hungry.
