09.12.2021, 21:33
Die Kombination bzgl. Brexit ist mit Vorsicht zu genießen, ich schiebe hierbei nicht alles auf den Brexit, auch die aufsummierten Sparprogramme haben ihr übriges sicherlich getan, dennoch ist die Entwicklung für Britain alles andere als schmeichelhaft...
Schneemann
Zitat:Why more Brits are turning to food bankshttps://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2021...cnnphotos/
In an upmarket neighborhood in west London, a growing number of people are visiting a storefront tucked between a bicycle shop and a coffee house that charges no money and caters exclusively to the less fortunate.
Dad’s House is one of 2,200 food banks in the United Kingdom that serve Britons who are struggling to afford basic necessities. Billy McGranaghan, its founder, told CNN Business that "the future is bleak" for the people who frequent his shop. [...] Food banks in the capital city have reported a surge of visits in recent weeks, with more and more working professionals seeking help with groceries following the end of a government program that subsidized millions of jobs during the pandemic and a reduction in welfare payments to those with lower incomes.
McGranaghan, 58, estimates that he's added 70 recipients to his food bank since mid-September, on top of the 300 to 400 already being served each week. The demographics of the new customers are broader than ever before, he said. Roughly 70 people were expected on the day CNN Business visited Dad's House. [...] Rising fuel and food costs have pushed up household bills for millions of Britons. Since January, wholesale gas prices have soared 423%, according to data from industry group Oil & Gas UK. A mix of factors explain the rise, including higher demand from Asia and lower-than-expected Russian gas exports.
In response, the UK energy regulator increased its consumer price cap — the maximum suppliers can charge customers per unit of energy — by up to 13% starting October 1, affecting 15 million people. [...] Before the pandemic, about 14.5 million Britons, or 22%, were living in poverty, according to the government's own measure. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a think tank, expects even more people to fall into poverty as pandemic benefits taper off. [...]
The UK government has also wrapped up its £69 billion ($95 billion) pandemic furlough program. In August, it reduced payments to employers from 70% of a worker's monthly salary to 60%, before stopping them altogether at the end of September. [...] Supermarkets are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked because the United Kingdom is short 100,000 truck drivers, due in part to an exodus of EU workers following Brexit. The pandemic also limited the number of certification tests for new commercial truck drivers. [...]
Schneemann