LONDON: When former postman Iqeel Ahmed told staff at his local Halifax branch he couldn’t feed his family because he was locked out of his account, they asked whether he had tried the nearest food bank.
For six weeks after his card was first declined — trying to buy takeaway chicken before a night shift — he’d visit the bank close to his home in Luton, Bedfordshire, in search of answers. The 45-year-old’s salary from the Royal Mail was being deposited, but his direct debits bounced, leaving him unable to pay bills.
