A walked three miles from his home, in the rain, to collect a food parcel, arriving just after the food distribution session started. Because he had no ID on him, he had to walk a mile to the centre of town to get a letter from a charity certifying that he is who he claims to be, and then a mile back to be issued with some food. His benefits have been sanctioned for reasons that are not clear to him. When he gets back to the food bank, they have run out of supplies. He faces a three-mile walk home with no food, until one of the volunteers at the café promises to find him something to take away. He says, “There’s nothing at home. If I don’t get this food, I’ll end up shoplifting.”

Source: Mary O’Hara (2014) Austerity Bites, Policy Press, 24