A year ago today, The Press launched its Stamp Out Poverty campaign. Today, VICTORIA PREST asks seven experts what needs to be done to improve matters further in 2014.


James Alexander, leader of City of York Council: “Over the past two years the council, working with partners, has helped reduce the number of children living in workless households by 40 per cent, but child poverty is increasing. With lower than national average unemployment levels, York’s focus must now be more on the cost of living crisis exacerbated by expensive housing, energy bills and child care.

“To help this situation the council, Aviva, CAB and other employers are increasingly signing up to become Living Wage employers – alleviating poverty and benefits among the poorest. The Press anti-poverty campaign should encourage more businesses to become Living Wage employers.”


John Hocking, executive director of Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust: “Housing and poverty are intertwined: not building enough homes means both high house prices and high rents. Those high housing costs have a direct impact on living standards, with three million people pushed into poverty after their housing has been paid.

“In York, every year we are failing to get anywhere near building the homes required, let alone meet our target for affordable homes. We must get the homes built this city needs to accommodate families, young people and the vulnerable. Otherwise York – with high private rents - will increasingly become out of reach for many, forcing those on low incomes to be removed from our city.”


Emma Smailes, Federation of Small Businesses: “It’s firstly a matter of procurement. If local authorities, the police, and even large companies get their products and services locally, small businesses can employ more people and pay them more. We know more than 50 percent of our members pay over the Living Wage, so small businesses want to pay people well, but it’s a case of getting those contracts. Procurement is key.

“The second thing is late payment. If large organisations and companies pay on time their suppliers have a more reliable cash flow, and that can make the difference when it comes to taking someone on and paying them.”


Caleb Ellwood, York Food Bank: “If the benefit system sorted itself out we would be feeding half as many people. We saw one woman who had an appointment with the Job Centre but it clashed with a hospital appointment and she couldn’t get through on the phone so she missed the appointment and automatically lost her benefits for a week, which left her with nothing to live on. The guidance from the DWP to Job Centres seems to be sanction people as much as possible. I have tried writing to the MP and the minister responsible, because we have a dual role to feed people and to speak up against policies and circumstances that mean people need us.”


James Player, Age UK York: “It’s very much a case of keeping up with demand. We do our best to keep pace but our caseloads are ever increasing and more complex. This is set against the very limited funding available to do all that needs to be done.

“Older people on basic pensions and pension credit do not have a lot of money, but there are also other factors to consider. More older people than ever are attempting to live independent lives, but many need ongoing help to actually manage their finances and helping such vulnerable people in the community is particularly labour intensive.”


Rachel Goddard, York Professionals: “People definitely need to be paid a fair wage for a fair day’s work, but I think it’s more than that. We need to be more creative as a society about how we make the right jobs for people and the right kind of childcare. Employers need to be more flexible so that two people in a family can work. Childcare needs to be affordable and practical so people can access it and both parents can go out to work. It’s more than just a living wage, there needs to be a cultural change.”


George Vickers, chief executive of York CAB: “We need jobs that pay. People really want to get themselves out of poverty. They are not asking for higher benefits or hand outs or food banks, they want to be able to work and pay their own bills. We need more jobs, and they need to be set around the Living Wage. And people need support to do those jobs with things like childcare, and support to get the right skills for today’s market place. Young people need those skills, and they need opportunities to move on from entry level jobs.”


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