Cost of living crisis: BASW UK calls for Emergency Budget in letter to Chancellor

BASW UK has added its voice to the call for an emergency cost of living budget to address the growing gap between income and the cost of living. 

In a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP, BASW has urged the Government to announce measures to tackle the financial pressure that many people and families are experiencing.

Poverty is widespread in the UK and continues to increase. But poverty is much worse than just a lack of money. The effects of poverty can be long-lasting and run much deeper than paying bills late or cutting back on the food shop. It has profoundly negative social and psychological effects on adults, as well as adversely impacting children’s education and health. 

We are in a cost-of-living crisis. There are several necessities in life which include food, shelter, and warmth. We are hearing reports that there has been a rise in people saying that they are skipping meals as they cannot afford to eat and reports of increases in food banks providing food parcels. We know that energy bills have increased substantially, which will result in those on the lowest incomes unable to stay warm and unable to access hot water. Private rents are also soaring, with landlords passing on their own cost of living increases to tenants who are already struggling to make ends meet. 

The UK Government must recognise that in-work poverty is on the rise and that working full-time at the minimum wage is not enough to escape severe, growing and urgent financial pressures and poverty. 

Other measures introduced by the Government recently, such as the repayable energy loan and the non-repayable council tax energy rebate, are not sufficient to help people get by. Benefits are also not enough to cover costs, and we fear that people who are already marginalised will avoid coming forward.

People are now forced to make impossible choices between paying bills or feeding their families. We are calling on the UK Government to take action to help people during this incredibly difficult period.

Take action: 

We encourage members to also make their own representations to the Chancellor calling for action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. 

The best email address to do this on is: CEU.Enquiries@hmtreasury.gov.uk