NGO criticises UK government welfare cuts, says children to go hungry
By Caoimhe Toman
Date: Monday 20 May 2019
(Sharecast News) - NGO The Human Rights Watch accused the government of carrying out welfare cuts that had seen tens of thousands of poor families left without food and thus failing in its responsibility to ensure adequate sustenance for its citizens.
In its latest report, the NGO examined how deep austerity policies had left many families with children in the UK going hungry and dependant on food banks.
"The way the UK government has handled its reduction in welfare spending has left parents unable to feed their children in the fifth-largest economy in the world," said Kartik Raj, Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The UK government should ensure everyone's right to food rather than expecting charities to step in and fill the gap."
After conducting interviews with families around the UK, the NGO found three factors had driven the surge in hunger in England.
First, the decision to slash welfare spending in the name of austerity led to 44% drop in assistance for children and families in need, hitting the poorest in the country the most.
In particular, the NGO decried the government's cap on family benefits, with an arbitrary and discriminatory two-child limit and a freeze in annual increases to welfare payments being decided despite rising food prices and inflation.
In second place, according to The Human Rights Watch, the government's changes to Universal Credit worsened the hunger crisis by delaying access to the first payments, leaving people stranded without funds for weeks.
Thirdly, the UK government had largely ignored the strain placed on food banks, despite reports from schools of children arriving hungry to class and unable to concentrate and calls from parents unable to ask for food in case they might lose custody of their children...
"This rise in hunger has the UK government's fingerprints all over it," Raj said. "Standing aside and relying on charities to pick up the pieces of its cruel and harmful policies is unacceptable. The UK government needs to take urgent and concerted action to ensure that its poorest residents aren't forced to go hungry," he urged.
Email this article to a friend
or share it with one of these popular networks:
You are here: news
10 Lower Thames St,
London EC3R 6EN