Chris Leslie MP Visits the Robin Hood Chase

9th March

Food banks are growing at a rapid rate across the country, and Nottingham is no exception – where there are reportedly 14 now in operation. On Friday I visited the food bank being run out of the former laundrette on the Chase by St Ann’s Advice Centre (pictured below) – a service which has already helped 193 people with no income to get basic food supplies since it was established in January. These food banks need donations and rely upon the voluntary goodwill of churches, supermarkets, schools and members of the public to make sure supplies can keep up with demand. For instance, the St Ann’s Advice Centre Food Bank currently needs long life milk and tinned ready meals which are running out (and if anyone can drop off a donation at their offices, please do so!).
 
The team working at the food bank explained to me that, for example, changes to the Employment & Support Allowance assessments have seen many people suddenly without the means to get by. And the new financial year beginning in a few weeks time will bring major changes affecting the living standards and well being of thousands in East Nottingham. The decision by the Government to scrap the existing Social Fund Crisis Loans and community care grants to help people in transition to independent living with the basics (including people leaving long term care or prisoners leaving prison) will mean that already hard-pressed local authorities have to pick up the pieces here. Add to these changes the new council tax bills and housing cost increases and we have a recipe for real hardship in the months ahead. We seem to be entering an era of greater reliance on charities and private welfare – but with no certainties that philanthropy can cope with the scale of need in the community. In my view this is an intolerable way to structure society in the 21st century; but for the time being I wish the volunteers well in their vital work at the food banks.

The Bedroom Tax – Nottingham East
 
We’re just over three weeks away from the introduction of the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ on those living in social housing and in receipt of housing benefit but with a ‘spare’ room for which they will have to pay more. There are 1,569 people affected by this change in Nottingham East constituency. Although David Cameron prefers to call it a “spare room subsidy” (reminiscent of Thatcher’s preference for calling the Poll Tax the ‘community charge’..), it is unfair and unworkable. For instance, they are hitting families of soldiers serving our country who will have to find extra money for their son or daughter’s bedroom, and penalising foster families helping children in need of a home. Parents who have separated but want to have overnight visits from children to stay in contact will also lose out for that apparently ‘spare room’. I have heard cases of disabled people in council and housing association homes who will have to pay more when they need more space due to their disability. And the bedroom tax comes in at exactly the same time as the Government are giving thousands of millionaires a tax cut of £100,000 a year. I am all for sensible welfare reform that is tough and fair. But this isn’t about tough choices, it is about the wrong choices.

By Chris Leslie MP (Labour, Nottingham East)