Responding to the Chancellor’s mini budget today, Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “The new Prime Minister and Chancellor have taken office at a time when the country is being swept up in a rising tide of poverty. In communities across the UK, more and more people are being pushed into impossible decisions … Read more
REAL LIVING WAGE INCREASES TO £10.90 IN SCOTLAND AS THE COST OF LIVING RISES A 10.1% increase in real Living Wage, the largest year-on-year rise. Over 57,000 Living Wage workers at more than 2,800 Living Wage employers in Scotland are set for a pay boost. New rate means full-time Living Wage employees will earn … Read more
Commenting on today’s announcement on energy bills by the Prime Minister, Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance said: “The first duty of government is to protect people from harm. We have been calling for action on energy bills for months, so today’s announcement will be welcomed by millions of people who have been sick … Read more
Commenting on today’s Scottish Programme for Government, Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance said: “The First Minister outlined many important measures today. The increase in the value and availability of the Scottish Child Payment will help thousands of households with rising living costs. Rent freezes will help tenants across the country. “But we could … Read more
Reacting to today’s announcement by Ofgem, Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said: “The first moral duty of government is to protect people and provide them with security. The UK Government and Ofgem are failing badly in that duty and acting without any sense of compassion and justice. “This massive price hike is in line with … Read more
Speaking after today’s energy summit alongside First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said: “The situation we face is of a magnitude that requires a pandemic-level response. Energy companies, as well as every level of government, have a moral duty to act. Today’s summit was a constructive start, with all those … Read more
The Poverty Alliance has welcomed news that the First Minister will convene an urgent summit with energy supply companies and consumer groups later this month, to discuss how advice and support for people struggling with energy bills can be improved. The move comes after the Poverty Alliance and Energy Action Scotland wrote to the Scottish … Read more
The Poverty Alliance has issued a statement reacting to the publication of new figures on drugs deaths in Scotland. Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “There is little good news in these figures. The current level of drug deaths in Scotland remains entirely unacceptable. In a just Scotland, no-one would lose their life … Read more
Anti-poverty campaigners are today calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to end the ‘unjust’ benefit cap – as new figures show that the numbers affected could rocket next year. The benefit cap was introduced by the UK Government in 2013. It blocks households from getting all the help they are entitled to from the social security … Read more
An anti-poverty charity says the Queen’s Jubilee is an opportunity to safeguard the future of the UK’s flagship social security system by establishing a new Royal Commission into the Future of Social Security. When Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1952, the UK had just started creating a modern welfare state, with the National Insurance … Read more
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