Politics

People face 'destitution' and having to 'prostitute themselves' without aid


People are facing “destitution” and may have to “prostitute themselves” to put food on the table without more financial help, a former Government homelessness tsar has said.

Dame Louise Casey said Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s offer of two-thirds pay for workers whose employers close would not “cut it” as families struggle with the ongoing pandemic.

In a stark warning to ministers, she told the BBC: “We are looking at a period of destitution.

“I can’t impress upon you enough that I think we are heading into an unprecedented period. We’re already in it and it’s going to get worse. And it needs a more cross-government cross-society response.”

“Do we want to go back to the days where people can’t put shoes on the children’s feet?” she added.


“Are we actually asking people in places like Liverpool to go out and prostitute themselves, so that they could put food on the table?”

She said the plight many working people were facing was “unprecedented”, adding: “I have never worked in a situation where I’m so concerned about what’s going to happen.”

Under the furlough scheme, the government paid 80% of workers’ wages until August, with the scheme winding down until it is closed at the end of the month.

A separate Job Support Scheme, which launches on November 1 and lasts for six months, will involve the Government paying two thirds of each employee’s salary – up to a maximum of £2,100 a month – if their employer is legally required to close their premises because of restrictions.

Bridget Phillipson, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “The Chancellor has abandoned workers and families in parts of the country under local restrictions.

“People shouldn’t have to worry about meeting their rent, paying the bills or putting food on the table because the Government has lost control of virus. The Chancellor must think again.”

But a Treasury spokesman claimed Dame Louise’s comments are “misleading”, adding “the Job Support Scheme is generous by international standards”.

He added: “More importantly, the scheme is specifically designed to support lower earners because they benefit not only from being paid two-thirds of their salary while not working, but also have some of the remaining drop in earnings covered by the welfare system.

“This includes housing costs, with over £9 billion overall being provided in additional support.





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