Ways to take action – July policy update

“The poor are not a distraction for the Church, but our beloved brothers and sisters, for by their lives, their words and their wisdom, they put us in contact with the truth of the Gospel.”

Pope Leo, World Day of the Poor 2025

Our charity is committed to calling for tangible and sustainable change which will help people transform their lives with dignity and live with hope. We campaign for changes to policies, systems and attitudes, and work to raise awareness of the barriers facing people accessing our services. 

Our regular updates like this one will keep you informed about campaigns and activities calling for change, and let you know about ways you can join us in making a difference. 

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.      

Calling on councillors to help end child poverty 

Last month, we were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with a number of local councillors with roles relating to children, families and education to share more about our report on child poverty and mental health needs in schools and the work of our school service. 

We shared with the councillors some of the challenges faced by families across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, the impact of this on our local schools, and the changes that are desperately needed to make a difference.  

We had some really productive conversations, highlighting the urgency of the issues and the need for collaboration to help ensure that children and young people in our local communities have the chance to thrive. We discussed ways we can work together, and we will keep engaging with decision makers and calling for change. 

The findings of our research aligned with a recent report by UNICEF UK who found clear links between poverty and children’s outcomes, including educational attainment. They highlighted how, for young children: “the effects of deprivation and poverty are not only clearly visible, they are already well established and likely to impact that child for the rest of their life.” 

Please join us in raising awareness of our work tackling child poverty and in calling for politicians and other decision makers to make the necessary changes so that every child has the opportunity to flourish. Visit our campaign page to find out how you can get involved. 

The impact of poverty for people with disabilities 

A new report published following an inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty and Inequality has highlighted the disproportionate impact of poverty on disabled people. 

The inquiry found that disabled people are significantly more likely to live in poverty, and that the additional costs of having a disability are not adequately met by the support provided. On average, the cost of having a disability adds up to 67% of the remaining household income after housing costs.  

In addition, people with disabilities face multiple barriers to employment, and the report states that disabled workers are overrepresented in low paid, insecure work and underrepresented in senior management roles, further contributing to the risk of experiencing poverty. 

With the existence of such stark inequality already, we are deeply concerned by the welfare cuts proposed by the Government which, according to the inquiry, will “deepen poverty and worsen inequality”.  The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has projected that the changes could push 400,000 more people into poverty.  

As the bill continues to be debated in Parliament, we’re joining with many others in calling on the Government to abandon the proposed cuts and ensure that the system promotes equality and opportunities for all.  

You can read a summary of the proposed changes here. If the changes would have an impact on you, you could consider writing to your MP to let them know and asking them to advocate on your behalf. 

Read more about our accessibility service and our policy and advocacy priorities. 

Refugees 

As members of the Together with Refugees coalition, we join with many organisations across the country in calling for a fair and compassionate plan for refugees. As part of this, we recently offered support to an amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.  

The amendment, tabled during the House of Lords committee stage, seeks to mitigate the most damaging aspects of the change to the ‘Good character requirement for citizenship’, and would ensure that the UK upholds its international legal obligations and that refugees who are already settled in this country are not subjected to permanent limbo.  

It’s estimated that at least 71,000 refugees who have already been granted status could be affected by the changes, so it is critical that the amendment is given full consideration.  

During Refugee Week last month, we reflected on the importance of welcome and positive integration for refugees and celebrated the contributions they make to our communities, and we will keep calling for all people seeking sanctuary in this country to be treated with dignity.  

Read more about our campaigning and find out how you can get involved.

The crisis of temporary accommodation for children 

In our recent report on child poverty and mental health needs in schools, we called for provision of temporary accommodation near to children’s schools and a duty on local authorities to notify schools when a family is placed in temporary accommodation. 

We were encouraged by recent conversations we’ve had with local authorities about best practice and what they are doing to support families, but we know there is still more work to be done. 

A new report from Shared Health Foundation highlights the experiences of families in temporary accommodation and the detrimental effects of living in temporary accommodation on children’s health and outcomes, including missed school days, increased visits to hospital A&E, and greater risk of mental health illnesses. 

We know from the statistics that there are more than 8,000 children living in temporary accommodation across the area covered by the Diocese of Salford, and we believe that is far too many children whose young lives are being affected by this country’s homelessness crisis. 

Therefore, we add our voice to that of Shared Health Foundation and many others in calling for changes to the system, including more focus on homelessness prevention, so that no child has to live in temporary accommodation.  

To find out more about our policy and advocacy work and ways you can get involved, visit https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/about/policy-and-advocacy/