UK
Over 200 orgs demand political parties put ending hardship and poverty at the top of their to-do list
With just seven days to go until the day of the general election, around 200 organisations, including anti-poverty campaigners, charities, foodbanks and economic support groups have written to the two major parties to put tackling hardship and poverty at the top of their to-do list.
Recent research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found that 7 million low-income households (60%) were forced to go without essentials like food, adequate clothing and basic toiletries in the six months to May 2024. Around 5 million low-income households (42%) took fewer showers or baths due to cost during the cost-of-living crisis so far.
Almost 4 million people experienced destitution in 2022 – more than double the 2017 figure, including 1 million children and 2.4 million people with a disability or limiting health condition.
A letter signed by organisations including the Trussell Trust, Citizens Advice, Crisis, Age UK, Barnardo’s, Mencap, Scope and Mental Health Foundation among others and sent to Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer reads: “This general election is taking place against a backdrop of deep and growing hardship. Just last month (May), 7 million low-income households were forced to go without essentials like food, adequate clothing and basic toiletries, and over the past year, food banks in the Trussell Trust network distributed a record 3.1 million emergency food parcels.
“Most shockingly of all, almost 4 million people, including 1 million children, experienced destitution in 2022, more than double the rate from five years previously. Such levels of hardship are unacceptable in the UK and cannot be allowed to continue.”
It goes on to add: “Together, we call on you to urgently set out a plan to help provide immediate relief to families struggling with hardship, as well as commit to developing a serious and ambitious strategy to build a future where everyone can afford the essentials, and no one needs a food bank to survive.”
Tom MacInnes, Interim Director of Policy at Citizens Advice, said: “Citizens Advice is helping 6,000 people every day with cost-of-living issues. They can’t pay rent. They can’t buy food. Millions are just about surviving.
“Politicians have been skirting around the issue but have failed to offer real solutions. People want to know what will actually be done to help them. Party leaders still haven’t shown what they’d do for households who have more going out than coming in.
“This is the living standards election and that’s what voters will judge the next government on.”
Lynn Perry, CEO of Barnardo’s, said: “Millions of families across the UK are struggling to afford basic necessities – be that food, toiletries or for many, even a bed to sleep in. “Children growing up in poverty go to school hungry, they miss out on opportunities to learn and struggle with poor health long into adulthood.
“We call on the next UK government to tackle this issue head-on, including ending the two-child benefit cap – which would immediately lift 300,000 children out of poverty – and committing to an essentials guarantee in Universal Credit. This would be an investment in the health and future prospects of millions of children.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
Today
Left Foot Forward
Almost 4 million people experienced destitution in 2022 – more than double the 2017 figure, including 1 million children and 2.4 million people with a disability or limiting health condition.
Left Foot Forward
Almost 4 million people experienced destitution in 2022 – more than double the 2017 figure, including 1 million children and 2.4 million people with a disability or limiting health condition.
With just seven days to go until the day of the general election, around 200 organisations, including anti-poverty campaigners, charities, foodbanks and economic support groups have written to the two major parties to put tackling hardship and poverty at the top of their to-do list.
Recent research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found that 7 million low-income households (60%) were forced to go without essentials like food, adequate clothing and basic toiletries in the six months to May 2024. Around 5 million low-income households (42%) took fewer showers or baths due to cost during the cost-of-living crisis so far.
Almost 4 million people experienced destitution in 2022 – more than double the 2017 figure, including 1 million children and 2.4 million people with a disability or limiting health condition.
A letter signed by organisations including the Trussell Trust, Citizens Advice, Crisis, Age UK, Barnardo’s, Mencap, Scope and Mental Health Foundation among others and sent to Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer reads: “This general election is taking place against a backdrop of deep and growing hardship. Just last month (May), 7 million low-income households were forced to go without essentials like food, adequate clothing and basic toiletries, and over the past year, food banks in the Trussell Trust network distributed a record 3.1 million emergency food parcels.
“Most shockingly of all, almost 4 million people, including 1 million children, experienced destitution in 2022, more than double the rate from five years previously. Such levels of hardship are unacceptable in the UK and cannot be allowed to continue.”
It goes on to add: “Together, we call on you to urgently set out a plan to help provide immediate relief to families struggling with hardship, as well as commit to developing a serious and ambitious strategy to build a future where everyone can afford the essentials, and no one needs a food bank to survive.”
Tom MacInnes, Interim Director of Policy at Citizens Advice, said: “Citizens Advice is helping 6,000 people every day with cost-of-living issues. They can’t pay rent. They can’t buy food. Millions are just about surviving.
“Politicians have been skirting around the issue but have failed to offer real solutions. People want to know what will actually be done to help them. Party leaders still haven’t shown what they’d do for households who have more going out than coming in.
“This is the living standards election and that’s what voters will judge the next government on.”
Lynn Perry, CEO of Barnardo’s, said: “Millions of families across the UK are struggling to afford basic necessities – be that food, toiletries or for many, even a bed to sleep in. “Children growing up in poverty go to school hungry, they miss out on opportunities to learn and struggle with poor health long into adulthood.
“We call on the next UK government to tackle this issue head-on, including ending the two-child benefit cap – which would immediately lift 300,000 children out of poverty – and committing to an essentials guarantee in Universal Credit. This would be an investment in the health and future prospects of millions of children.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
No comments:
Post a Comment