‘£1.2 million on winter relief for Doncaster residents on low incomes is welcome but shows Government’s failure,’ claims councillor
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Labour Coun Tosh McDonald, said the Government’s handout of £1.2 million for Doncaster was welcome but added the past 10 years of austerity and the lack of action on tax evasion had created the initial problem along with those excluded from Covid-19 help.
The Government said the funding would ‘empower’ councils to make sure ‘families are warm and well-fed this Christmas’.
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Hide AdThe funding scheme is part of the Government’s £170 million given to councils based on population and levels of deprivation and 80 per cent of which is ring fenced for people to get shopping and pay utility bills.
Doncaster, with a similar population as Bromley in London, received £450,000 more in funding due to higher levels of poverty.
Councils will receive half of their allocated funding from December 1 with the remaining n 2021, with scheme designed to run until the end of March.
Coun McDonald said: “While welcoming the money from the DWP and feel sure it will help some of our most vulnerable residents, we must not overlook that it is a failure of Government that makes this necessary.
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Hide Ad“For over a decade wages have been squeezed, Universal Credit has put more families into poverty, changes to incapacity benefits and the bedroom tax have all played a role in the need for this and then came Covid-19.
“Jobs have been lost, furlough has not covered all with many slipping through the net.
“We would have hoped a decent, compassionate government would reverse the decade of austerity and clamp down on tax evasion/avoidance to ensure that those most able to pay should foot the bill to make sure every child has a safe home and a full belly.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey, said: “No one should go hungry or be unable to pay their bills this winter. By empowering local authorities who know their areas best, this scheme ensures families are warm and well-fed this Christmas.
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Hide Ad“This adds to the wide range of support already available, including £9.3 billion of additional welfare support to help families in need during the pandemic, along with mortgage holidays, support for renters, and billions in income support through the furlough scheme.”