Wow. You equate food banks with drugs. And tough love? Really.
I equate them with the acts of drugs dealers, as in that they create a dependency and become a structural part of being. There are many other examples of 'kind benefits' that do exactly the same thing and it is not good and not sustainable. It doesn't resolve the problem, on the contrary it patches it up and sweeps it under the carpet thus there is no rush to resolve the actual issue.
Just take a look at the figures you've provided, lets take the top three referral reasons;
1. Benefit delays - Why? just why? Totally unnecessary and that is the actual scandal. This should be broken down and fixed very quickly. Or is there something more fundamental behind this, and an element of personal responsibility? But even so then the system must be simplified.
2. Low income - Naturally this is much more complex. What does low income actually mean? Is it disposable income, are the outgoings too high? It is a hard one. However the UK has made everything very expensive, and mostly it is us to blame for driving up house prices and paying the ridiculous amounts for it. But again the solution to low income isn't raise the wages because guess what. Those wages need to be paid, thus products and services will have to go to generate the money and now the new increased wages are too low again. To me this is one of those structural issues, and it really needs to be broken down as to what it actually mean. But again a food bank is not the solution, it fills a void such that the root cause doesn't get addressed.
3. Benefit changes - Similar to 1, why does this have such an impact? There could be many reasons for it as it is such a general group. But take one say Child Benefit, that to me is the prime example of where Government has acted like a drug dealer and created a dependency. Many people take it for granted and add it to their income. Benefits can change, it has changed, you have no control over it and shouldn't take it for granted. I wished they grew some balls and just got rid off it. Fairly simple, as from April 2016 it stops for children born after April 6th. Simple and effective, you don't affect anyone currently, it will phase out of 18 years gradually and those not yet pregnant can't cry foul either as they know it in advance it won't be there. Easy way to cut a bit of expenditure without affecting anyone.
Don't forget I support food banks, heck I even support Benefits to go up to 70% of the average income over the past 4 yours for a maximum period of 12 months such that it gets targeted to those who really need it, have contributed and it doesn't become a race to the bottom when in a prickly situation. As I said before, the organisation and publicity is there these days, especially publicity from certain political pursuations to aid they cause, however they've always been around and part of communities and the big society. That bit has gotten lost for a lot of people and is totally within our own control to rebuild without reliance and dependency (see there is that word again with the link to drugs) on a Government to solve it for us.
anyway my 2p, you probable apply a racquet to it regardless and let predetermined listening make you hear what you want to hear.
