The CoalitionWorking together
Community Links
Community Links Staff have years of experience at the front line in Newham, working in Youth Areas, Welfare Advice and Employment issues. When asked what Government needs to do to end poverty in Newham here is what was suggested:
“I think to reduce poverty in Newham Government needs to…..
- change the way means tested benefits are calculated to enable people to work a few hours and keep the money because taking any income away from means tested benefit prohibits people from getting back into the work place a couple of hours per week, increasing child poverty….
- ensure access to really affordable and decent housing because that is the basis that individuals and families need if they are to work towards building a more secure life that isn’t blighted by or threatened by poverty. …..
- change the benefit rules because short term work is available but it’s too difficult and too much of a risk to come off benefits….
- For me it’s “the housing and unemployment benefit system” because “it traps people out of work….
- Changes in local flexible, affordable childcare because this can stop parents from going to work if they wish to…..
- change our attitudes and behaviour towards people claiming welfare benefits because we currently stigmatise, harass and blame them for not being employed and for being poor…
- change the way those in poverty perceive themselves, because without the belief to change, contribute and achieve they will forever believe that poverty is all there is…..
- stop the temporary rents being over £300 a week because it is stopping people going to work because they cannot afford to spend all there wages in rent….
- raise the levels of child benefit because it is the most efficient way of getting well needed resources directly into people’s pockets…..”
we need to work with children, parents, schools to ensure families that need support can access it earlier rather than later when one problem has grown to five problems - the government must finance projects that are appropriate to unemployed people who are desperate to have an opportunity to earn money eg. Give companies money for 3 month work experience and support the young person to improve their performance and gain related training one day per week.