Britain’s poor face the worst winter in living memory.
A year ago we talked about people having to choose between heating and eating, now many can’t afford either. Basics like soap, toothpaste etc are becoming unaffordable luxuries.
And it’s only going to get worse.
[THREAD}
A year ago we talked about people having to choose between heating and eating, now many can’t afford either. Basics like soap, toothpaste etc are becoming unaffordable luxuries.
And it’s only going to get worse.
[THREAD}
Fuel poverty is likely to double between now and April
◾️Two thirds of the country will be in fuel poverty from April
◾️70% of pensioners
◾️96% of lone-parent families with 2 or more kids
◾️over 85% of all couples with 3 or more kids.
◾️Two thirds of the country will be in fuel poverty from April
◾️70% of pensioners
◾️96% of lone-parent families with 2 or more kids
◾️over 85% of all couples with 3 or more kids.
Maximum heating support will drop from:
£24 a week when bills average approx £50 pw
To:
£18 a week for bills that average £60 pw
With other cuts that means an out-of-work family with 2 kids will be £44 a week worse off next April than last October – 14% off their income.
£24 a week when bills average approx £50 pw
To:
£18 a week for bills that average £60 pw
With other cuts that means an out-of-work family with 2 kids will be £44 a week worse off next April than last October – 14% off their income.
From April, twice as many households (19.5m people) will spend 20% of their income on fuel.
3.8m households (9.9m people) will spend 30%.
Child poverty – already 4m – will rise inexorably
3.8m households (9.9m people) will spend 30%.
Child poverty – already 4m – will rise inexorably
The Sunak-Hunt budget just intensified the gap between need and provision.
The last line of defence is now not Universal Credit but the 3000+ food banks - and the fuel banks, clothing banks, bedding banks, toiletries banks, hygiene banks, furniture banks, baby banks etc.
The last line of defence is now not Universal Credit but the 3000+ food banks - and the fuel banks, clothing banks, bedding banks, toiletries banks, hygiene banks, furniture banks, baby banks etc.
The innovation from the charity sector is astonishing (see my article).
Just as we thanked the NHS and care workers in the pandemic, we should pay tribute to the 1000s of local heroes coming to the aid of millions of fellow citizens now.
newstatesman.com/politics/uk-po…
Just as we thanked the NHS and care workers in the pandemic, we should pay tribute to the 1000s of local heroes coming to the aid of millions of fellow citizens now.
newstatesman.com/politics/uk-po…
Charity alone can never be enough.
My local multi-bank will provide £10m worth of goods this year to 40,000 families but it can't compensate for the £70m these same families have lost through reductions in the real value of benefits.
My local multi-bank will provide £10m worth of goods this year to 40,000 families but it can't compensate for the £70m these same families have lost through reductions in the real value of benefits.
Compassion isn’t running dry but cash is.
The government must take the shame out of need, do more than just talk about being compassionate, and deliver what the welfare state was always meant to deliver: a decent minimum standard below which no one should ever fall.
The government must take the shame out of need, do more than just talk about being compassionate, and deliver what the welfare state was always meant to deliver: a decent minimum standard below which no one should ever fall.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
