Thread by @EwanGurr

01/12/22: When a mum who left behind domestic violence admits to a foodbank volunteer she planned to prostitute herself to provide Christmas gifts for her two kids after being referred to a charity providing gifts for low-income families
#WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

02/12/2022: When two young women arrive at the foodbank because their mum is recovering in hospital from trying to take her life when mounting rent arrears resulted in a letter from her private landlord telling her to vacate their home by Christmas Eve #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

03/12/22: When a mum, who intended to breastfeed her newborn because it would be more cost effective than buying formula, is told by her GP that her calorie intake - following a benefit sanction - is too low for her to produce milk #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

04/12/22: When a young mum calls the Department of Work and Pensions to ask if she can reschedule a later appointment to sign on so she can attend her son's Christmas school play and is told if she misses the existing one she will be sanctioned #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

05/12/22: When a new mum recently separated from her partner files a new benefit claim as a single person and thanks the foodbank volunteer who gives her extra formula milk to ensure her three week old son will be well fed through the festive season #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

06/12/22: When a Ukrainian lady is referred to the foodbank by a homeless unit because the host family, who received £350 per month for accommodating her, said she needed to leave three weeks before Christmas because their "minimum time period was up"
#WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

07/12/22: When an older man, one year out from retirement, is made redundant after a life of work and, having never owned nor used a computer, struggles to update his online journal and ends up sanctioned three weeks before Christmas #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

08/12/22: When a young man who has worked since leaving school arrives at the foodbank, recently made redundant. Having just applied for Universal Credit and turned down an advance, he was informed his first payment will be in the first week of January #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

09/12/22: When a mum, who watches her 16 y/o son's life support machine switched off due to meningitis she thought was flu, gets home from his funeral to a letter saying 14% of her housing benefit will be deducted for the spare room he just vacated #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

10/12/22: When a terminally ill man gives up his job as a taxi driver after being diagnosed with a brain tumour and is refused Universal Credit because he cannot commit to 35 hours of work search each week due to daily radiotherapy #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

11/12/22: When a lady claiming Universal Credit fails to turn up to her final appointment at the Job Centre before Christmas because she was in hospital having had a heart attack and returns home to a letter saying she has been sanctioned #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

12/12/22: When a single mum made redundant arrives at the foodbank in the run up to Christmas saying her wee boy asked if he had been bad this year because there were no presents under the Christmas tree at home #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

13/12/22: When a brother and sister are put to bed one hour earlier each night by mum and dad so they can switch off lights and central heating to save on electricity the increasing cost of keeping their meter out of the emergency #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

14/12/22: When a lady recently made redundant and a first-time benefit claimant still awaiting her first Universal Credit payment asks foodbank volunteers not to report her and her husband to social work because they are struggling to feed their kids #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

15/12/22: When a breastfeeding mum struggling to produce milk has an unforeseen benefit delay and is informed by her GP that she is malnourished due to lack of calories, before referring her to obtain enough formula milk to see her through Christmas #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

16/12/22: When a hard-working mum struggling on a limited income arrives at the foodbank for the first time having finished a 12-hour nightshift and dropped her son off at school who, just before getting out the car asked, "Mum, what's for tea tonight?" #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis

17/12/22: When a man with over 30 years of consistent work is made redundant, cycles through high winds as well as sleet from one side of the city to the other for his Job Centre appt and turns up two minutes late only to be sanctioned and sent home #WhenChristmasEqualsCrisis