Just like taking a biro home from work is the ‘same’ as stealing a car. 😕

It doesn’t. But there are a few, me included who are suspicious of the chosen lifestyle of these 3. And as I’ve said, giving the benefit of the doubt to these 3, it still opens the potential for others with less/no genuine need to be taking dumped food to now start doing it because the message seems to be that it’s ok to do it.

There are benefit cheats about. You don’t have to read the Daily Mail to believe that. It may or may not be as prevalent as some believe but all societies have those in genuine need, and those who take advantage, and this risks opening a door for them. And the fact that there are other fraudsters as well, who absolutely should be pursued for their debt avoidance does not change the fact.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/aug/31/benefit-fraud-claims-evil-twin

I wonder if it would be beyond people with something a little more serious in mind to claim they were ‘just looking for some out of date food’ when caught by the police in a secure compound at the back of a supermarket?

There are benefit cheats about. You don’t have to read the Daily Mail to believe that. It may or may not be as prevalent as some believe but all societies have those in genuine need, and those who take advantage,

Read that article I posted. Fraud accounts for less than that lost in genuine errors, and is less than unclaimed benefits.

It’s 1% of the total benefits bill. Massively dwarfed by the amount lost to tax evasion.

Benefit fraud is largely an irrelevance but if you want to let yourself get manipulated by the government and media into being all riled up about it I guess that’s up to you.

I have a colleague who lives pretty much on free and home-grown food in central London. He skip dives, takes donations from all the local cafe’s etc (last staff meeting he arrived in Winchester with a mahooosive half of coffee cake that was ‘too old and dry to sell’ so was being chucked. Om nom.)
He trades for futniture etc, buys all his clothes second hand.
I think rent, bills and council tax are about all he pays ‘full price for’. Apart from cider. Lots of cider.
I am in awe of his lifestyle and commitment to environmental issues.
Fair ply for taking waste food IMO.
I don’t know where he spends all his wages…

It still costs us £2bn per year. I’m not saying that tax fraudsters shouldn’t be pursued. Absolutely they should.

I’m sorry for using benefit cheats as an example, maybe i am prejudiced by the 1% who are taking money from the other 99% who need it, but i cant turn a blind eye just because it’s small compared to tax evasion. Let me rephrase then as there being some in society who will see this decision as a go ahead to also fill their fridges with dumped stuff whether they need to or not, because they will see it as their right. Whereas the real issue is to find a means to get this stuff into the hands of those who really need it, not those who are best at getting over the wall.

ninfan – Member
I wonder if it would be beyond people with something a little more serious in mind to claim they were ‘just looking for some out of date food’ when caught by the police in a secure compound at the back of a supermarket?

well they were infact caught with a load of bin booty so im happy to believe them

as for the benefit fraud conspiracy theories, youre right im sure the telegraph runs similar stories

it still opens the potential for others with less/no genuine need to be taking dumped food to now start doing it because the message seems to be that it’s ok to do it.

I am sure all those people out there that are prepared to bin dive were waiting on tenterhooks for this verdict.

Freegans! Tonight, we dine in hell!

WTF? First the ASA, now the CPS. Today, I am incredulous at the actions of acronyms. FFS.

I’m sorry for using benefit cheats as an example, maybe i am prejudiced by the 1% who are taking money from the other 99% who need it, but i cant turn a blind eye just because it’s small compared to tax evasion.

Apology accepted. 🙂

I’m not saying we should turn a blind eye, but the focus on benefit fraud is completely disproportionate to it’s actual impact.

Let me rephrase then as there being some in society who will see this decision as a go ahead to also fill their fridges with dumped stuff whether they need to or not, because they will see it as their right.

And that will be a problem because….?

And that’s assuming it would happen, which I doubt. ‘Freeganism’ has been around for a long time, and I doubt anyone ever thought they’d get prosecuted for it before this.

Claiming it will lead to loads of people taking it up seems like a bit of a slippery slope argument

And that will be a problem because

It fails to address the issue of finding a mechanism where this food finds its way into the food chain and to the hands of the needy, as opposed to those who are good at scaling walls.

theotherjonv – Member
as opposed to those who are good at scaling walls.

You make it sound like the Eiger.

It fails to address the issue of finding a mechanism where this food finds its way into the food chain

The decision to not prosecute these people has absolutely no impact on the will of supermarkets and government\ngo agency’s to improve that situation.

Wasn’t the Queen a benefit cheat a while back?

And she’s not the only dirty scrounger:

http://www.parasite-street.co.uk/

The main issues that have to be addressed here:

a) Redistribute the food to worthy causes, rather than letting it go to waste

b) REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE IN THE 1ST PLACE!!