'Tone deaf at best' - advice to stock up on essentials worries experts and low-income families
Source: BBC ·
Some families say they cannot afford to stockpile in line with the government's advice.
From the source
Samantha said she carefully budgets each month to be able to afford childcare for 12-year-old Oscar while she works A single mum has said following government advice to stock up on emergency supplies would mean sacrificing her childcare budget for the school holidays. Samantha Richards, who works full-time and relies on Universal Credit and her son's disability allowance to cover the bills, said the call to prepare reminded her of the "survival of the fittest". Last week, Wes Streeting said people should have water , tinned goods, baby food, torches and mobile phone charging packs ready in case of emergency. But one professor said the guidance "will appear at best tone deaf and at worst almost insulting" to households facing poverty. The UK government said people did not need to buy everything at once. The government has drawn up recommendations for households to have three days' worth of bottled water and tinned food to deal with a crisis such as a war, an online attack or a natural…