Neath Port Talbot Council raises spectre of return to soup kitchens
CRISIS meetings are being held amid dire predictions that the Government's benefits reforms will plunge Neath Port Talbot back to the dark days of soup kitchens.
The prospect was variously described as frightening, terrifying and horrifying when the full impact of the changes was spelt out to councillors.
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Hard hit... The poor
They accused the Government of being cruel and vicious in targeting the most vulnerable in society, with families and single parents expected to be the hardest hit.
Neath Port Talbot has one of the highest claimant rates in Wales — one in four residents is receiving at least one form of benefit — and so will feel the full force of the impending changes.
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Deputy Neath Port Talbot Council leader Peter Rees said: "We are going back to the era of soup kitchens. This is what this Government is driving us to."
Social justice charity the Bevan Foundation, which the council commissioned to assess the likely impact, has warned that many people will see their benefits cut or even lost altogether.
"It's going to have a huge, incredibly disruptive impact on lots of people," said foundation director Victoria Winckler. "That impact is going to be mostly negative."
To give a few examples, those on Jobseekers' allowance will face tougher requirements, with sanctions being applied to those who do not look for work — at a time when jobs are increasingly scarce.
About half of people on Incapacity Benefit are being found fit for work and either being put on Jobseekers' allowance or losing their benefit altogether.
Meanwhile, around a fifth of people now on disability living allowance are expected not to qualify for a replacement benefit called Pip, or personal independence payment.
Those on housing benefit will also face huge disruption. For example, single people of working age living in three-bedroom homes will have their benefit cut because of new under-occupancy rules — some by as much as £25 a week.
But as Neath Port Talbot has a shortage of single-bed homes, finding smaller, more suitable accommodation may prove impossible. And there will be further disruption when the various benefits are merged into a single payment, called Universal Credit, to be rolled out over four years, starting next October.
The Bevan Foundation estimates that the reforms will result in an average benefit cut of four per cent, though this could be as high as 12 per cent for some.
"That's a lot of money if you are on low income," said Dr Winckler. "It's a big hit.
"The people that will be worst affected are families with children, especially lone parents, and people already on low incomes. This is a massive hit for them.
"We don't know how they are going to manage. Lots of people are predicting an increase in crime and mental health problems and family breakdowns. We just don't know.
Neath Port Talbot Council is now holding crisis management talks not only between its own departments likely to be affected, such as housing benefits, welfare rights and homelessness, but external agencies too.
They are looking at what can be done to mitigate the worst effects or, as Dr Winckler put it, take the edge off the harshness.
Measures could include easing the restrictions on school uniforms to save parents money, and providing people with advice on how to manage reduced budgets.
Mr Rees said: "This is evidence that what this uncaring, vicious Government is doing, hitting the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities.
"Where they think people are going to find work I just don't understand."
Policy and resources scrutiny committee chairman Des Davies said: "It's frightening to see the extent of the challenge before us."
paul.lewis@swwmedia.co.uk
01792 514694
Comments
by Neathboy234
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 10:51AM
“weslangdon well said. It's a little known fact that the average Londoner revives over £16,000 from the government in the form of spending, here in Wales we receive half that amount. And that's without the likes of cross-rail being taken into account, almost £20 billion has been spent on that little project, imagine what we could do in wales with 20billion being spent on our railways.”
by weslangdon
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 10:35AM
“The essence of this is that this Westminster Govt expects the poorest and the most vulnerable to pay for a crisis created by their best mates the bankers.
This particularly so in Wales and the other poor regions of Great Britain and NI; all the while the South East is featherbedded with massive state handouts; the Jubilee and the 2 Olympic events but also gets additional billions spent on transport infrastructure.
The Evening Posts most useful contribution is to single out individuals that have fiddled the benefit system all the while happily ignoring the bigger picture where the rich pay no taxes at all.
We live in a horribly iniquitous society”
by odinhouse
Monday, September 17 2012, 1:59PM
“'''' Soup kitchens '''' mmmm - Do i have to bring my Own Bread, or will that come with the FREE SOUP ... Lots of young people Don't know what soup Kitchens are Like. Don't spend what you don't have . but yet in knower days some people can find money for Drink and other item's that are not needed. ( Veg Please )”
by Petert53
Monday, September 17 2012, 10:15AM
“Intersting that Social justice charity the Bevan Foundation finds a problem with "those on Jobseekers' allowance will face tougher requirements, with sanctions being applied to those who do not look for work" — the fact that jobs are increasingly scarce are increasingly scarce would appear to be a red herring created by the Bevan Foundation - all tat is required is that people look for work.
As to single people living in 3 bed houses - surely they would be better served by downsizing where possibel thereby freeing homes for families and saving money as a 1 or 2 bed property wwill be cheaper to run than a 3 or 4 bed property.
Changes are being made, some worthwhile, some not, but the situation is certainly not helped by doom mongers like Peter Rees, who really should know better, but will obviously say anything just to score a political point. Perhaps he would care to give up his council allowance and live off his final salary teachers pension - just feel a little of every one else's pain”
by CornDolly
Sunday, September 16 2012, 11:33AM
“at could have been turned around by the Labour rule of 13 years but was not.Hadoken
"The reality is most of the people on benefits and in poverty are actually capable of doing more with their lives than they have done."
Totally agreed but there are no jobs for the able bodied so what are they going to do? Most of the long term unemployed and sick claimants are depressed by the system which has failed them. Yes you always get the odd one who says they do not want to work but quite often this a front put up by the person after years of failure within a system that has failed them and should have been turned around by a Labour Government of 13 years which failed them utterly.
"Things will change a lot in the UK, more and more jobs will go abroad, things are becoming virtualised, so they can be done by cheaper labour in other countries on computers."
Yes agreed but can someone tell me why Germany kept their manufacturing base when the UK - who has a lower wage structure - lost theirs?
"I hate to say it, but life will only get worse for people in the UK."
Agreed and the only way to change this is for people to get up and start helping themselves - and get rid of the leeches who purport to be running the place - i.e our politicians and civil servants, quangoites etc.
"Wales needs real investment from its own gvt into small businesses so those people who live and want to live here can create something."
The only thing politicians invest in in this country is themselves.
"There is no leadership in this entire country, and even less so in wales."
Agreed and one of the ways to open up the entire can of worms is for all politicians to compulsorily retire at 65 years of age and every public sector job has to be filled from outside the public sector to stop the dynasty ruling of families from the inside of the public sector and stop the divide between sections of the working classes from opening up even wider. Radical yes but is there any other way other than a slide into the abyss?”
by Penyfai
Sunday, September 16 2012, 10:10AM
“NB234 - How are these Tory cuts? As I understand it the labour party has supported these cut backs? It is common sense to cut your coat to suit your cloth. Clearly the socialist mantra of borrow and spend can not continue and at some point the hard lessons taught in the 80s will eventually be learned.”
by Neathboy234
Saturday, September 15 2012, 10:14AM
“With over 80% of the Tory cuts still to come we can expect more of this. Makes you wonder just how bad things will have got by 2015. In some ways i feel sorry for the Tory party, they wait 13 years to get into power and then they seem to make a total mess of everything that they do. Will it take another 13 years before they get a chance again, never mind 2028 will soon be here”
by sochat
Saturday, September 15 2012, 8:26AM
“May be Peter Rees will give up one of his salaries and give it to the poor.
May be the NPT business department will get off their generous butts and attract some indusry to the area.
May the reason Peter Rees is squealing so loudly is because the council tax subsidies being cut by central government will now have to be paid by the local authority.I hurts more when you have to pay what you are handing out,doesnt it Peter.
May be we should keep on paying out these benifits to any tom,dick,or peter until we find ourselves in the same situation as the Greeks.”
by Penyfai
Saturday, September 15 2012, 6:18AM
“I stand by my comments and if there is need for me to seek disability and there is no money left it is because it has been squandered by a government seeking to reward the workshy'and lazy and on pointless "politically correct" schemes.
As for the Victorian age, I believe you will find that is exactly where socialism is taking Wales.
It is not social justice to create a community dependent on the state, happy to live a life of servitude to the hand out office; developing learned helplessness. Give people quality of life by allowing them to stand on their own two feet, to take repsonsibility for themselves and enjoy the freedom of choice.
Education is free - use it!”
by Hadoken6773
Saturday, September 15 2012, 2:32AM
“The reality is most of the people on benefits and in poverty are actually capable of doing more with their lives than they have done.
Things will change a lot in the UK, more and more jobs will go abroad, things are becoming virtualised, so they can be done by cheaper labour in other countries on computers.
I hate to say it, but life will only get worse for people in the UK.
Wales needs real investment from its own gvt into small businesses so those people who live and want to live here can create something.
There is no leadership in this entire country, and even less so in wales.”