'I used to shop at Waitrose and M&S... now I go to the foodbank': City worker who lost job due to coronavirus says she is 'now poor' with just £30 left after paying her mortgage each month

A City worker who lost her job due to coronavirus says she is 'now poor' with just £30 a month left after mortgage payments. 
Under the pseudonym Alice, the woman revealed how she used to shop at Waitrose and Marks and Spencer but was forced to seek out food banks.
'I was used to having extra money being able to save being able to do my shopping at Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and then all of a sudden going from that to not earning anything - you're now effectively poor,' she told the BBC's Today show on Radio 4.
Volunteers are pictured at Paddington Foodbank in London as more people are forced to seek out charity groups for basics due to the coronavirus crisis
Volunteers are pictured at Paddington Foodbank in London as more people are forced to seek out charity groups for basics due to the coronavirus crisis 
Before heading out to the foodbank, she had tried to ignore the hunger she felt surviving on two meals a day by listening to podcasts.
'I would have a bowl of porridge in the morning and then I would have for lunch a bowl of homemade soup, sometimes a couple of slices of toast that was it,' she said. 'It was a very, very poor diet - I was constantly hungry.'
She was terrified of going to pick up free food parcels for fear that she would be perceived.
Alice said that the mere thought of visiting the charity gave her heart palpitations as she feared that the volunteers would question why somebody who sounds and looks affluent needed their vital services.
She was relieved when the volunteers came to her aid without any question, as foodbanks now expect people who were previously well-off to be visiting due to coronavirus job losses.
But she said that she's still too scared to tell her friends and family that she's relying on charity or to ask for their help, which is why she is using a fake name.
She said: 'Admitting it to friends and family? Well I haven't. They know that I'm not working but when they do ask me if I'm doing okay, I say I'm absolutely fine. I should perhaps be more honest and say "well actually, now you mention it". But you don't.' 
It comes as:
  • Britain's death toll rose by 737 to surge past 10,000 yesterday with one expert warning it was set to be the highest in Europe; 
  • It emerged the Cabinet is split over when to end the lockdown, with growing concerns about the impact of school closures; 
  • Michael Gove revealed he had been granted special dispensation to have his daughter tested for the virus so he could get back to work; 
  • The Archbishop of Canterbury urged that the dead be treated with dignity; 
  • Ministers admitted that only 4,200 of 300,000 small firms had been given loans; 
  • The Royal College of Nursing told its members to refuse to treat patients if they didn't have adequate protective clothing; 
  • Some Britons flouted lockdown rules and were seen soaking up the sun in the nation's parks; 
  • Health Secretary Hancock said he did not have any update on how many NHS staff had died following the 19 he confirmed on Saturday; 
  • The Queen stressed the importance of maintaining the coronavirus lockdown, but insisted: 'Easter isn't cancelled; indeed, we need Easter as much as ever'. 
James Quale from North Paddington foodbank told the show that they are stretched beyond what they ever could have imagined and have increased home deliveries by thousands of per cent in just two weeks. 
He stressed that nobody who is in need, no matter their background, should feel worried about using the service. 
In London within the last fortnight alone there has been a staggering 950,000 new claims for universal credit. 
This week the Guardian reported that while demand for foodbanks is soaring, individual donations are falling. 
As a consequence, many foodbanks are finding it impossible to replenish their stock. 
With more people turning to the charities for help, major UK supermarkets were being urged to set aside supplies.  
'I used to shop at Waitrose and M&S... now I go to the foodbank': City worker who lost job due to coronavirus says she is 'now poor' with just £30 left after paying her mortgage each month 'I used to shop at Waitrose and M&S... now I go to the foodbank': City worker who lost job due to coronavirus says she is 'now poor' with just £30 left after paying her mortgage each month Reviewed by CUZZ BLUE on April 13, 2020 Rating: 5

1 comment:

  1. Sorry, no pity here for those who lived beyond their means, without 'saving for a rainy day.'

    ReplyDelete

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