A lot of working people are ‘just not able to cover their living costs’, the manager of an Isle of Wight energy charity told Shanklin Town Council last week.
In an update on fuel and food poverty at Falcon Cross Hall, the Footprint Trust’s Laura Stitchbury said many users of Shanklin’s foodbank were in work – ‘on the cusp’ of not being able to claim benefits but unable to make ends meet.
Ms Stitchbury addressed residents and councillors amid a continuing cost-of-living crisis, with a recent council report showing a 33% increase in the use of Island foodbanks.
She said:
“In the last five years, our area has very much been in fuel poverty – supporting people who are unable to pay energy bills.
“When I first started working for the Footprint Trust, most people had to ask what fuel poverty was, whereas now I’m sure almost everybody here is aware, with the cost of living crisis and energy bills doubling over the past few years, in most communities it’s really quite prevalent.
“The foodbank in Shanklin has a range of people – a lot come in with support workers, they’re already on the more vulnerable side of things, there’s been homeless people who use that foodbank as well.
“People attending for the first time are very emotional and they’re cautious about who they speak to, so for us it’s really important that we have a presence there and people feel they can come to us and that we are approachable.”
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She said a lot of working people are accessing the foodbank because they’re just on the cusp of not being able to claim benefits but they are just not able to cover their living costs. She said the biggest users of the Isle of Wight foodbank are single working people.
Speaking after the meeting, Shanklin mayor Councillor Sara Sheath said:
“As town councillors we have sign posted residents to (cost-of-living) support and have put information on our noticeboard, website and in our monthly Beacon article to assist in spreading the word.
“Having listened to Laura, we will now look into how we can support our residents and discussions around the feasibility of providing a meeting point in Falcon Cross Hall so that agencies and organisations that support residents can come together and be available to speak to all in one place.”
It’s the same all around the country, it’s even
grimmer up north, at least we have the sunshine.
“Don’t tell Rachel, or she will start taxing us for the
hours of sunshine we receive”
That’s what you get voting Labour
(Better the devil you know) come back Doris
all is forgiven!
Lol
I was fuming to hear that people will now be forced to choose between heating and eating. That was last year! Now the choice for some will be starvation, homelessness or crime. Labour are completely heartless and out of touch.