Ways to take action – our latest policy update

Date Published: 22 Nov 2023
Person spooning out soup from a pan into a bowl

Want to take action or find out more about what’s happening in your local community?

We regularly publish updates containing just some of the latest policy developments in Greater Manchester and Lancashire that align with our charity’s core objectives. 

Hopefully these updates will inspire you 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.

 

The Real Living Wage: 

The Living Wage rates for 2023-24 were announced on the 24th of October 2023. The Real Living Wage is the only wage rate independently calculated according to the cost of living, based on a basket of household goods and services. The new rate has increased by 10%, reaching £12 per hour across the UK (a £1.10 increase) and £13.15 per hour in London (a £1.20 increase). 

As a proud Living Wage employer, we actively support and advocate for the Real Living Wage in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Work should be a means to alleviating poverty, research evidence shows that by implementing the Real Living Wage employers can ensure that workers are protected from poverty.  It has also demonstrated significant benefits for the organisation by improving staff retention and motivation.  During Living Wage Week (6-12th November), we created a series of resources to guide individuals in advocating for the Living Wage, by encouraging employers, becoming accredited or checking supply chains. Explore these here.

 

Destitution in the UK: 

The Joseph Roundtree Foundation has recently published findings that show the North West as the third-highest region in the UK for levels of destitution.  This indicates a growing number of people are struggling to meet their most basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed. Additionally, the research shows that migrants are disproportionately at risk of destitution. 

Our commitment to tackling poverty and supporting people in need is encompassed in our practical action and advocacy. With the on-going cost of living crisis, rising food and fuel costs and the approach of winter, support is more crucial than ever. 

But,what can you do?  

  • Donate to our Advent appeal to help us work alongside more people facing poverty in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
  • Read more about this report and recommendations here. You can actively support advocacy initiatives aiming to alleviate poverty and prevent destitution, such as the need for safe, suitable and affordable housing as well as ensuring adequate income – especially in the context of Universal Credit, supporting the notion of an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ to ensure everyone has a protected minimum amount of income to afford essentials such as food and household bills. 
  • Take local action using our resources, which include guidance on setting up a Warm Hub and other ways to combat poverty.

 

Free School Meals: 

We’re actively involved in the #FreeSchoolMealsForAll campaign, led by No Child Left Behind. The aim is to call on the government to expand free school meals to cover all primary school children, ensuring every child is included. 

Child poverty is a worsening in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, affecting 302,158 children (36% of all children) in our diocese. Many families face food insecurity, lacking access to nutritious meals, and some even skip meals. 

Extending free school meals to every primary school child can ease financial burdens on parents, enabling them to pay for other essentials for their children, from heating and food at home to hobbies and after-school clubs. 

We’ve already signed an open letter, and we plan to collaborate with our Catholic school network to strengthen this campaign and amplify voices with first-hand experience. 

 

Imprisonment and the devastating impacts on families: 

PACT, a member of the Catholic Social Action Network has recently published a powerful new report: ‘Serving a Hidden Sentence: the financial and emotional impact of a loved-one’s imprisonment’. It details the harsh realities of imprisonment on families, including stigma, isolation and poverty. Additionally, it highlights several recommendations aimed at significantly improving the support provided to these families.

 

The Supreme Court has ruled the deportation of refugees to Rwanda as illegal: 

We actively advocate for safe migration routes and policies that prioritise safety and human dignity. Last year, the government began deporting individuals whose asylum applications were deemed ‘inadmissible’ to Rwanda. Those arriving by small boats were especially at risk of their claims being considered ‘inadmissible’. We believe individuals fleeing to safety should be treated with compassion, regardless of the route they had to take.  

Analysis from the Refugee Council reveals that a significant majority, at least six out of ten (60%), of individuals who undertook the dangerous Channel crossing to the UK in small boats last year will be recognised as refugees through the asylum process. 

The Rwanda scheme raised safety and dignity concerns among various Refugee organisations, including our own. 

 

Asylum accommodation and housing pressures: 

The British Red Cross estimates that 50,000 refugees in the UK may face homelessness before the end of the year. They have published a map highlighting areas with substantial local housing pressures, based on statutory homelessness applications, households in temporary accommodation, waiting lists, social housing stock, and vacancy rates. Concerningly, several areas covered by the Diocese of Salford (Greater Manchester and Lancashire), face severe housing pressures including Salford, Bolton, Blackburn and Darwen, Manchester, Trafford, Oldham and Rochdale. 

Advocacy is crucial. Our mission is to end rough sleeping and ensure suitable, safe housing for all, promoting personal dignity. We seek to improve the availability and affordability of quality homes. This involves ending the reliance on unsupported temporary accommodations, reforming the private rented sector and urging the government to build, protect and increase genuinely affordable and environmentally sustainable social housing.

 

Other actions you can take now:

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