As a volunteer at my local food bank, I was asked to deliver groceries to a local property with the understanding that the recipient was not answering their phone and may not be home. On arriving at the multiple-occupancy property, I saw two people chatting and I asked if they could direct me to the recipient. “Oh that’s me,” said one. I said that I had a delivery for them and also mentioned that the food bank had been trying to contact them by phone. They replied that they had not been able to use their phone since the electricity meter had run out and they had no means to top it up.
This person, alone and in their late 70s or early 80s, is not only sitting in their accommodation with no electricity, they also have no way of reaching out for help. Recipients are usually referred by doctors, schools and care organisations. We are not told who organises the referrals. My question to Liz Truss would be: how long will it take for your benefits to trickle down to this person? How much growth will the top levels of society need before they start to pass the scraps down the food chain?
Alan McElevey
Southampton
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