Fair By Design has become a member of The Essentials Guarantee campaign. The campaign calls on the Government to introduce an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ that would embed in our social security system the widely supported principle that, at a minimum, Universal Credit should protect people from going without essentials.
Key to the campaign is the idea that the basic rate of Universal Credit should at least cover the cost of essentials like food, household bills and travel costs. Recent upheaval in many people’s lives has demonstrated that the current rate of Universal Credit is not enough because of macro factors like inflation and the pandemic. This leaves a significant shortfall between people’s living costs and their income, which is forcing people to switch off essential appliances such as fridges, and unable to pay essential bills through no fault of their own.
At Fair By Design we know that essential products and services are already more expensive for people in poverty. More needs to be done to support people, an essentials guarantee is a good place to start.
You can find our more information on the campaign by visiting The Trussell Trust or Joseph Rowntree Foundation websites.
This is the most parcels we have ever distributed in a single year. This has to stop. Join us, @TrussellTrust & @jrf_uk to call on the government to guarantee that Universal Credit will cover #OurEssentials Email your MP today👉 https://t.co/Wzu8lx1gPw pic.twitter.com/S8nGCmU6nM
— Cardiff Foodbank (@CardiffFoodbank) May 6, 2023
