destitution

Here’s how the Tories will continue their war on the less well-off in the King’s speech

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One of the many occasions climate change denier and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak uses a private jet.
One of the many occasions climate change denier and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak uses a private jet.

https://leftfootforward.org/2023/11/heres-how-the-tories-will-continue-their-war-on-the-less-well-off-in-the-kings-speech/

On 7th November, King Charles III will open the next session of the UK parliament. It is likely to be the last before the general election expected to take place towards the end of 2024.

The King’s speech, written by the government, is the key part of state opening of parliament. It sets out the government’s policy priorities and legislative programme. So what can we expect, or not expect, the Conservative government to do to save its skin?

After 13 years in office and five Prime Ministers the government is spent and is unlikely to reverse any of its economic policies that have resulted in the highest ever public debt of £2.6 trillion (97.8% of GDP) and highest rate of inflation for 41 years.

The government won’t end austerity and real wage cuts. The average real wage is lower than in 2005. 14.4m were living in poverty in 2021/2022. 3.8m people experienced destitution in 2022, including around one million children. In the period 2012-2019, government imposed austerity caused nearly 335,000 excess deaths (nearly 48,000 a year) in England and Scotland.

A government obsessed with privatisation, outsourcing and cuts to public spending may pay lip-service to public investment, but won’t do much to deal with crumbling schools and public buildings. Parts of the National Health Service have been privatised by stealth and the government won’t do much to relieve the healthcare crisis. Some 7.8m people in England are waiting for hospital appointment (1 in 7 of the population). Some .2.6m are chronically ill and unable to work. In the five years to 2022, around 1.5m died whilst awaiting a hospital appointment.

The government is trapped by its subservience to defunct ideologies. It won’t modify Brexit and reach out to Europe to boost investment, trade and jobs. It won’t increase investment in infrastructure. In an OECD league table of investment in productive assets, the UK is ranked at number 35 out of 38 countries.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/11/heres-how-the-tories-will-continue-their-war-on-the-less-well-off-in-the-kings-speech/

Continue ReadingHere’s how the Tories will continue their war on the less well-off in the King’s speech

1,000,000 children living in most extreme poverty as figure almost trebles since 2017, report finds

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Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

https://leftfootforward.org/2023/10/1000000-children-living-in-most-extreme-poverty-as-figure-almost-trebles-since-2017-report-finds/

A damning new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) on the scale of destitution in the UK, has found that more than a million children experienced the most extreme form of poverty last year, with the figure almost trebling since 2017.

The report – the fourth in a series of Destitution in the UK studies published regularly in recent years, also revealed that almost 4 million people experienced destitution in 2022. Destitution is when people cannot afford to meet their most basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed.

The damning figures shame us as a nation, with the rise in levels of destitution down to the cost of living crisis, low incomes as well as high levels of debt. The JRF report also highlighted how the social security system is failing to protect people from destitution, with almost three quarters (72%) of those destitute being in receipt of benefits.

The number of people experiencing destitution has increased by 61% since the last Destitution in the UK survey in 2019, an increase of almost two-and-a-half times (148%) compared to 2017. The report stated: “Single people of working age continue to be the worst-affected group by far, but for the first time in 2022 around a million children were living in households that experienced destitution. The shocking statistics revealed in this report reflect a social security system now so full of holes that it falls to charities – such as food banks – to try to prevent people from experiencing the worst of destitution, but the task is too great for them.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/10/1000000-children-living-in-most-extreme-poverty-as-figure-almost-trebles-since-2017-report-finds/

1.20pm: From the report:

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The study findings emphasise the need for urgent action to address the profoundly detrimental impact of
living in destitution and prevent more people experiencing this most severe form of material hardship.
Destitution impacts on health, mental health and people’s prospects. At a societal level, it puts strain on

already overstretched services. It is morally unacceptable that people have to rely on food banks and other
voluntary efforts to meet their basic physical needs. We need a stronger state safety net providing crisis
support to everyone experiencing destitution, regardless of where they live or who they are, with cash-first
assistance and ready access to free high-quality advice. While this would make an immediate difference to
those most in need, we need bolder action to address the drivers of destitution, starting with a commitment
to ending destitution in the UK and moving on to ‘design out’ destitution from our social security and
immigration systems.

Continue Reading1,000,000 children living in most extreme poverty as figure almost trebles since 2017, report finds

Jeremy Corbyn annihilates Labour over ‘wealth tax u-turn’

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Image of Jeremy Corbyn MP, former leader of the Labour Party
Jeremy Corbyn MP, former leader of the Labour Party

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/jeremy-corbyn-labour-party-wealth-tax-355502/

Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader who was banned from standing as a candidate for the party earlier this year, has taken an almighty swipe at Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, after it was confirmed that the pair would not look to implement a wealth tax if elected into office.

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Keir Starmer also confirmed last month that would retain the two-child benefit limit – despite growing calls from poverty campaigners for the cap to be abandoned. The controversial stance has divided politicians within the Labour Party.

It’s another questionable policy u-turn from Starmer, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by Jeremy Corbyn. The two-time Prime Ministerial candidate ripped into Sir Keir, saying that a wealth tax could easily fund an extension to the two-child cap.

Corbyn also urged his successor to ‘side with those in need’:

“With the money raised from a 1-2% wealth tax on assets over £10 million, we could afford to scrap the two-child benefit cap SEVENTEEN times over. Politics is about choices — and we should be on the side of those in need, not those with greed.” | Jeremy Corbyn

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/jeremy-corbyn-labour-party-wealth-tax-355502/

Continue ReadingJeremy Corbyn annihilates Labour over ‘wealth tax u-turn’

Millions of households to face higher energy bills this winter despite price cap

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Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/splash-millions-households-face-higher-energy-bills-winter-following-ofgem-price-cap

MILLIONS of cash-strapped households are facing higher gas and electricity bills this winter despite a lower energy price cap, the labour movement warned yesterday.

Amid declining wholesale prices, regulator Ofgem announced a new average annual energy cost across Britain of £1,923 from October 1 — down from £2,074.

Typical prepayment meter customers will see their bills falls to £1,949 a year.

But experts warned a decision by Tory ministers to cut government energy support alongside an increase in compulsory standing charges would hike costs for some, while many would see little or no change.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/splash-millions-households-face-higher-energy-bills-winter-following-ofgem-price-cap

Continue ReadingMillions of households to face higher energy bills this winter despite price cap

Sanctions make it harder for benefit claimants to find work, new research finds

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/08/sanctions-make-it-harder-for-benefit-claimants-to-find-work-new-research-finds/

Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

“Demanding compliance from people means they end up jumping through hoops rather than finding jobs that are a good fit for them”

Benefit sanctions make it harder for claimants to find a good job, new research has found. According to the research carried out by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), the majority of people required to attend job centres to access benefits think that being sanctioned undermines their ability to find a good job.

According to a report in PoliticsHome, NEF commissioned polling of unemployed people receiving universal credit and required to attend job centre appointments found that 61 per cent said the threat of sanctions found it harder for them to have a trusting relationship with support services. That figure is higher for unemployed people who are also disabled – at 69%. 63% also said that the threat of sanctions negatively impacted their mental health, rising to 73% for disabled people.

Welfare claimants were also likely to report negative experiences of attending job centre appointments. 73 per cent reported that their first meeting at the job centre focused on the rules and obligations placed on claimants. 59 per cent also said they felt that the job centre wanted them to get a job as quickly as possible, rather than finding a role which was a good fit.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/08/sanctions-make-it-harder-for-benefit-claimants-to-find-work-new-research-finds/

Continue ReadingSanctions make it harder for benefit claimants to find work, new research finds