Rasen councillor: Issues stretch further than meals

With the public outcry following MPs’ decision not to provide food vouchers this half-term holiday, one local councillor has said the issue spreads much further than meals.
Coun Stephen BunneyCoun Stephen Bunney
Coun Stephen Bunney

Councillor Stephen Bunney has shown his concern over the wider issue families are facing.

During the pandemic two financial packages helped many families in this area, as well as nationally, with their food and utility bills - the £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit / Working Tax Credit and Free School Meal Vouchers.

In many cases, Councillor Bunney said that these payments made “all the difference.”.

He continued: “As we all know, as well as the refusal to extend the Free School Voucher Scheme, from next April they [government] could well end the £20 uplift.

“The withdrawal of these two financial packages is a backward step.”

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation [JRF] estimates that these acts will plunge 700,000 people (300,000 children) nationally into poverty and 500,000 people into deep poverty.

Coun Bunney added: “Let’s not kid ourselves West Lindsey will not escape these poverty levels.”

He also says the issues are not just child poverty and hunger.

He said: “Parents struggling to provide sufficient food for their families often end up in rows, depression, misery, anger and slaps - adding to the problems for the children.

“These families are also often the ones without gardens, lap tops and wi fi - all things that have helped more fortunate children survive the lockdown.

“The result is many income ‘strained’ children suffering from long term mental health issues, which help no-one.”

Coun Bunney has tabled a motion the next full meeting of West Lindsey District Council , which takes place next Monday, November 2, asking the Leader and Chief Executive to lobby The Chancellor of Exchequer and Prime Minister to support the campaign launched by JRF, and 50+ other bodies, to make Free School Vouchers during the holidays and the£20 per week benefit cuts a permanent move.

Coun Bunney said: “I know that some will quote situations where parents are short of money for food because they prioritise alcohol, tobacco etc.

“Clearly, these cases exist, but they are few and far between.

“Also in these case its not the children’s fault so why penalise them and the many families who do put their children first.”

Coun Bunney also criticised the government’s recent ‘Eat Out’ scheme.

He said: “In August the Chancellor saw fit to fund the Eat Out help Out campaign to the tune of £500m. “Everyone was able to benefit for the scheme, but statistics show that it was primarily taken up by families who had sufficient money to eat out - families facing poverty did not really gain, as they could not really afford the reduced payments in the first place.

“Surely, if we are looking at levelling up society we should make these two welfare payments permanent.”