Recent Government and newspaper reports on
the state of poverty across regions and left behind urban and ex industrial semi
rural environments illustrate how the rush to omit Northumberland’s most
deprived Wards from the Tory led Councils report on food poverty will open
wounds which will never heal.
National news that before rent reduction the
North East of England has over 15% of families suffering problems of endemic
poverty was released last week by the Government. Critics who work in the arena
of poverty action and Northumberland’s Labour Councillors vocally responded to
the reports claiming they are a blind to hide the truth, that the release is
premature and that the figure is set to rise sharply in May as new benefit
claimants are added to the list for the first time in over a year.
Northumberland County Council through its
legal responsibilities towards childens and families ran a short term task and
finish group earlier this year chaired by the Tory Councillor Wendy Patterson.
The minutes of the meetings have just been made available to Councillors and
those who represent the most poverty stricken Wards in Northumberland are up in
arms with the papers.
Councillor Liz Simpson who represents
Newbiggin Central and East Ward which is home to the highest number of children
living in homes suffering persistent poverty in the County went public on
social media about the reported minutes pointing out how biased they were
against Wards where poverty has become endemic over the last decade of Tory
Government’s.
We contacted her and asked her what her
thoughts were on the matter and she told us “I couldn’t believe the results of
the task and finish groups report and how biased it is towards reporting on
wealthier areas to show that poverty among families and children isn’t a real
problem under a Tory Council”
“Wards with extreme poverty levels like Newbiggin by the Sea from Prudhoe, to
Berwick are omitted from the report in favour of looking at low food bank use
in places like Ponteland, Warkworth and Morpeth, its a political cover up.”
“Labour Councillors have been asking for a
report to be taken to Cabinet which signposts people towards being able to
claim the new weekly food vouchers to help those in need, instead we have a
report going to the new cabinet after the elections which will cloud the real
issues of a Council where towns making up almost 60% of the County have families
and children caught in both the poverty trap and suffering lower than average
educational achievement primarily caused through the lack of action on the
ground over the last decade from Government for a national relief plan for
forgotten places.”
To claim the new benefit, Councillor Simpson
explained If families meet the criteria, they can get free vouchers or payments
every four weeks to spend on cows' milk; fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and
vegetables; infant formula milk and fresh, dried, and tinned pulses. They are
known as Healthy Food Vouchers.
Pregnant women and those with children aged
under four are eligible for the coupons if they receive Child Tax Credit and if
their family's annual income is £16,190 or less; Income Support;
Income-based jobseeker's Allowance; Pension Credit which includes the child
addition; or Universal Credit and if their family's take-home pay is £408 or
less per month from employment.
Councillor Simpson also said that in poor
areas we have low levels of internet access and my fear is that having to apply
for these vouchers on line via the NHS has led to the massively low take up
from those in need. The web site for the form is via this link https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply
Its easy if you're eligible or you know
someone who is. Please tell them about it and if you can, also help those who
need help get online to claim.
