Ways to take action – February campaigning update
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“Solidarity means fighting against the structural causes of poverty and inequality.”
Pope Leo, Dilexi Te
We call for meaningful, lasting change that enables people to transform their lives with dignity.
We publish regular updates like this to raise awareness, keep you informed about campaigns and activities, and to let you know how you might be able to get involved.
Hopefully you’ll be inspired to actively participate and make a difference in your community.
We’d love to hear from you if you do, so get in touch and let us know what you’ve been up to.
Changes urgently needed to tackle poverty
With your support, we work to reduce poverty and disadvantage and challenge the systems and structures that drive the hardship faced by people we support.
A recent report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has reiterated the urgent need for this work. The report sets out the nature of poverty in the UK and highlights the deepening of poverty, with the number of people in very deep poverty being at a record high.
The report states that “some groups have wholly unacceptably high rates of poverty”, and this includes children, lone-parent and larger families, some minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities and informal carers.
In the lead up to the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy being published last year, we called for a number of policy changes necessary to reduce child poverty, including an end to the two-child benefit limit.
We know that the scrapping of the two-child limit and the other measures introduced in the Child Poverty Strategy will make a significant difference to many children and families we work with.
However, this must mark beginning of sustained action and investment, and not the end.
The report projects that, if things stay as they are, poverty rates will fall in April this year when the two-child limit is lifted, but that progress will not be sustained, and poverty rates will stagnate for the remainder of this Parliament.
Therefore, we’ll continue to work to see an end to poverty and call for tackling poverty to be a priority for policymakers.
Some of the key changes urgently needed include:
- An end to the benefit cap.
- A protected minimum amount of Universal Credit to ensure people can afford the essentials.
- Unfreezing Local Housing Allowance rates for housing benefits and setting rates in line with local rents.
Read more about our campaigning work here, the changes we call for here and stay up-to-date with progress on our website and in these monthly updates.
Responding to the Government’s Fuel Poverty Strategy
Last month, the Government published a new Fuel Poverty Strategy and Warm Homes Plan.
Through our Energy Advice service, we meet many people who are unable to heat their homes and are in debt with their energy bills, and they tell us of the significant detrimental effect this has on their lives, including their physical and mental wellbeing.
Therefore, while we welcome the publication of updated plans to tackle fuel poverty, we know that further action is essential to really see a difference for as many people as possible who are experiencing fuel poverty.
Through a vital cross-government approach, the Fuel Poverty Strategy includes a commitment to lift 1 million households out of fuel poverty by 2030, broadens the definition of households considered vulnerable, and expands the Warm Home Discount to more low-income households.
The Warm Homes Plan introduces requirements for the majority of privately-rented homes to meet EPC Band C by October 2030, as well as new schemes for upgrades to make homes warmer and more energy efficient. There is also a commitment of increased investment for low-income households, but at present, the details remain unclear.
These publications indicate welcome intent from the Government in addressing fuel poverty, but it’s essential that clear and effective measures are set out in order that we will see a tangible difference to people’s lives.
It’s vital that the Government’s plans do not leave behind those in the most challenging circumstances.
The plans also lack provision for accessible, in-person advice tailored to individual needs.
We know through our work that this kind of support is crucial, particularly for people who may face barriers to accessing digital services, and it must be made more widely available.
Read more about our energy advice service and find out how you can access support.
Calling for justice for migrants and refugees
Last year, the Government announced proposals to change routes to settlement in the UK. The changes planned include extending routes to settlement for most migrants from five to ten years, and up to 20 or 30 years for some people.
The proposals would also mean people having to make repeated applications to extend their leave, with the waiting time for settlement being reduced or increased according to how they are judged to have ‘contributed’ to society.
We recognise that these announcements will have caused significant fear and uncertainty for many people, and we have had the opportunity to respond to the Government’s consultation to share our concerns.
We believe that each person, regardless of their background, experiences or the country they were born in, has inherent worth and dignity and deserves the opportunity to live life to the full. This is what shapes our campaigning work and informed our response to the consultation.
We raised concerns that the changes will push too many people into hardship, uncertainty and destitution, increasing the risks of poverty and homelessness.
We also believe that the proposals would disproportionately impact certain people, including single parents, people with disabilities and health conditions, and those working in low-paid but essential roles.
We’re also concerned that longer routes to settlement would undermine integration and community cohesion, causing further division in communities.
We’ll continue to call for a fair system that upholds dignity, enables integration and allows people to build secure futures.
In a time of so much division, we remember the words of Pope Francis about people who are migrants and refugees: “Each of them has a name, a face, and a story, as well as an inalienable right to live in peace and to aspire to a better future for their sons and daughters.”
Find out more about our work supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.
Read Bishop John Arnold’s statement on World Day of Migrants and Refugees last year.
To find out more about our campaigning work and ways you can get involved, click here now.
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