Monday, June 24, 2013

Austerity hurts

 350,000 poor children will lose access to Free School Meals

There are 3.6m children living in poverty in the UK today, this will rise by 300,000 by 2015.

Hate crimes on disabled people rose by a quarter in just one year as disabled people were painted as scroungers on the take.

32 people are dying every week after being assessed ‘Fit to Work’ and having their sickness/disability benefits removed.

33 people have committed suicide, citing fear of impending poverty as a result of these welfare reforms as the principal reason.

420,000 households containing a disabled person face rent rises of more than £700 a year as a result of the Bedroom Tax.

Cuts to Council Tax Benefit have seen the poorest facing up to 333% rises in their Council Tax bills.

More than 350,000 people had to rely on Food Banks in order to feed themselves and their families last year, a rise of 300% in a single year.

One in five people retiring this year will be forced to live below the poverty line due to pension cuts.

Meanwhile, the fortunes of the FTSE100 companies is at record highs, Chief Executives are seeing 23% pay rises and the Royal Mail chief, for instance, received £1.6 million pay for last year. Taxes are being reduced for or simply not collected from the wealthiest individuals and corporations, MP expenses rose 25% last year and the Queen is about to receive a £5m pay rise from the public purse.

This is not a case of poor people suffering austerity while the wealthiest live large.  It is a case of poor people suffering austerity in order that the wealthy live large.

Taken from here

No comments: