Some of the poorest families in the UK have been hit by more than 100 unfair spending cuts during the first 100 days of the coalition government, the TUC says.
An analysis of departmental spending conducted by the TUC published today, reveals that cuts have been made in services across the board including education, health, housing, welfare and social care, which have a greater impact on the poorest families in the UK.
For example, the City Challenge Fund provides extra support to under-performing children in the most deprived areas – this has been cut by £8m.
The Every Child a Reader programme provides early support to children with literacy problems, and focuses on inner city schools – this fund will be cut by at least £5rm and it faces an uncertain future.
The Young Person’s Guarantee promised unemployed young people access to a job, training or work after being unemployed for six months. Yet £450m has been cut from the fund, which will be abolished in 2011.
Free School Meals would have provided meals to around £500,000 families on low pay from September – this has been cancelled.
Commenting on the TUC report, General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
“Before the election we were told that cuts could be achieved through efficiency savings, that the most vulnerable would be protected and front-line services preserved. These pledges have not lasted 100 days.”
The TUC is calling on the coalition government to introduce a “Fairness Test” to ensure that cuts do not have a disproportionate impact on the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.
The Fairness Test is supported by a number of organisations including: Barnardo’s, Child Poverty Action Group, Gingerbread, End Child Poverty Campaign, Oxfam and Save the Children.
Brendan Barber said:
“We can only conclude that at least parts of the coalition are using the deficit as an excuse to secure the cuts in public services that they know that voters would have overwhelmingly rejected if faced with a manifesto that promised slash and burn.”
