The 83-year-old, who once urged jobless to 'get on their bikes' and find
work, was forced to eat "humble pie" after attacking emergency handouts
Norman Tebbit has admitted people are being forced to use food banks because they are wrongly being denied benefits.
The Tory grandee, 83, recently sparked anger by suggesting claimants
took emergency handouts to save money which they then spent on junk
food.
But he said he was eating “humble pie” after seeing a food bank in action.
Writing on his blog, he went on: “I was impressed with the quality and dedication of the people working there.
“There was a systematic approach to uncovering the deeper problems which
had brought people to the point where they simply did not have enough
money to buy adequate food.
“Some had fallen foul of the bureaucratic processes of welfare support,
leaving them waiting for, or even denied, the cash support to which they
were entitled.”
Lord Tebbit, who once urged the jobless to get on their bikes and find
work, had previously attacked the huge growth in food banks which handed
out more than a million parcels last year.
He claimed their popularity was down to “near infinite demand for valuable goods given away free”.
But after visiting the Trussell Trust food bank in Haverhill, Suffolk,
the former Employment Secretary and party chairman admitted: “There was
no slap-happy handing over of boxes.
“The staff worked through procedures to establish whether the claimant was genuine and how he or she came to be in such need.
“Sometimes that was the failure of the bureaucracy, sometimes alcohol or family breakup.
“But whatever it turned out to be there was someone to act as a
champion, offering counselling on money management, job-seeking or
further education.”
The right-winger said the visit made him think that too many young
people had not been taught how to look after themselves and find a job.
Mirror
