'Tone deaf at best' - advice to stock up on essentials worries experts and low-income families
Summary
The UK government has advised households to keep three days’ worth of emergency supplies, including water and tinned food. Low-income parents and an expert say the advice may be hard to follow without spare money, while one mother also worries that the suggested food would not suit her autistic son’s needs.Key Facts
- The guidance recommends supplies such as bottled water, tinned food, baby food, torches and phone-charging packs.
- The government says households do not need to buy everything at once.
- Samantha Richards, a full-time worker who relies on Universal Credit and her son’s disability allowance, says buying supplies could cut into her childcare budget for the school holidays.
- Richards says her autistic son relies on foods that need refrigeration and may not eat tinned food.
- Richards plans to prioritise water and says she already has torches and blankets at home.
- University of Glasgow professor Ruth Patrick says the guidance may seem insulting to households facing poverty; she cited an estimate of 14 million households in poverty across the UK.
- Ana, founder of UK Preppers Club on Facebook, says the government should give practical advice for emergencies such as a loss of running water.
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