The Big Issue - UK (2020-11-30)

TheRideOutRecessionAlliancebringstogetherbusiness

leaders,politiciansofallhues,third-sectorleadersand

you!Weneedyourideassowecansafeguardjobsand

stoppeoplelosingtheirhomes.Howshouldwerideout

therecession?Getintouch: email [email protected]

bigissue.com/rora

SPENDING

REVIEW:

THE VERDICT

Therewasalotridingonlastweek’sComprehensiveSpendingReview.Chancellor

RishiSunakwastaskedwithplottingtheUK’spathoutofCovid-19economic

catastropheashelaidbarethecountry’ssoberingfinancialposition.

The Officefor BudgetResponsibilityfigures showedjustwhytheChancellor hadtoget

itright.The economyhascontractedby 11.3percentandisnotexpectedtorecoveruntil

thefourthquarterof 2 0 22.Unemploymentisprojectedtorocketto7.5percentin2 0 21,

meaning2.6million peoplewillbeoutof work.

In his£394bnsplurge, Sunakpromised£254mtoendroughsleepingaswellasbillions

for housebuildingfunds, jobsupportschemes,localcouncilsandenvironmentalprojects.

OurreporterLiam Geraghtyaskedfive membersof The BigIssue’s RideOutRecession

Alliance, whohave joineduson ourmissiontoprotectjobsandpreventhomelessness

during and after the pandemic, for their reaction to the Chancellor’s statement.

SHELTER
Whattheywanted:Socialhousingandlotsof it.The benefitcaptobescrappedand
benefitlevelstobekeptinlinewiththecostof rents. Andacommitmentthatanyone
facinghomelessnessthiswinterwillgetaccesstoemergencyaccommodation.
Whattheygot:The £254mannouncedtoendroughsleepingwas welcome, butwhethera
£7.1bnNationalHousebuildingFund–announcedontopofthe£11.5bnAffordableHomes
Programme–willtranslatetosocialhomesremainstobeseen.
Whattheysaid:PollyNeate, Shelterchiefexecutive, said:“This was amissedopportunity
totackleourout-of-controlhousingemergency. You cannot defeat rising poverty or
homelessnesswithcourage alone.”

NATIONWIDEFOUNDATION
Whattheywanted:Moremoneyforcommunity-ledhousing.The government’s
CommunityHousingFundgave £163mtocommunity-ledhousinggroupsin2 018 toboost
England’shousingsupply, butthatfundingran outinMarch.
Whattheygot:Therewas nomention oftheCommunityHousingFundintheSpending
Review.However,SunakdidrevealanewLevellingUp Fundworth£4bn forlocal
infrastructure projectsandtosupporteconomicrecovery.
Whattheysaid:NationwideFoundationchiefexecutive LeighPearcesaid:“As itstands,
there are over 1 0 , 000 community-ledhomesthatare awaitingfunding,readytobebuiltin
cities,townsandvillagesacross England; many of which are in areas that the Levelling Up
Fundislikelytowanttoreach.”

NEWECONOMICSFOUNDATION
Whattheywanted:NEFcalledfor aUniversalBasicIncome-styleliving income of
£227aweekforthosewhoneedit,one million newlow-carbonjobstobecreatedover
thenext18monthsalongsidereskillingtofilltherolesandthespringfurloughdeadline
toberemoved.
Whattheygot:Jobs supportintheSpendingReviewlargelycentredon a£2.9bnRestart
Schemefor “intensiveandtailoredsupport”tohelppeoplefindwork.AndtheChancellor
alsopromisedtoincreasethenationalliving wageby 2.2percentto£8.91an houraswell
asboostingthenationalminimumwage.
Whattheysaid:MiattaFahnbulleh,New EconomicsFoundationchiefexecutive, said:
“The Chancellor madeclearthesheerscaleof the economic crisis we face and yet his
response failed to rise to the challenge.”

[email protected],

andvisitbigissue.com/roratosignupfor

theRORAnewsletter.Seeoverthepagefor

what a post-Covid New Deal could look like

GENERATIONRENT

Whattheywanted:Generation Rentcalledfor LocalHousing

Allowancetoberaisedtocover rentsaswellasan endtothe

benefitcap. They alsowantedrenterswhorackeduprent

arrearsduringthefirstlockdowntobeprovidedwithgrantsto

pay offtheirdebts.

Whattheygot:Noneoftheabove.In fact,theSpending

ReviewsuggestedthatLocalHousingAllowancewillbefrozen

incashtermsfrom April 20 21–meaningitwillfallbackbelow a

thirdof rent,leavingfamiliesstrugglingtokeepup.

Whattheysaid:AliciaKennedy, Generation Rentdirector,

said:“The Chancellor’s statementwas amissedopportunity

toprotectrenterswhohavelostincomeduetothe pandemic

againstdebt,hardshipandhomelessness.”

ZACCHAEUS 2000 TRUST

Whattheywanted:NotonlydidZ2KwanttheUniversal

Creditincreasetobeextended,theyalsowantedpeoplewith

disabilitiesandothersonlegacybenefitstohavethe“lifeline”.

Whattheygot:Therewas nowordontheUniversalCredit

increasebeingmadepermanent,whilelegacybenefitswere

increasedby 0 .5percent–amountingto37paweek.

Whattheysaid:EllaAbraham,Z2K’spolicyandcampaigns

officer, said:“The Chancellor’s 37paweek‘rise’ forthoseon

legacybenefitsispitiful.We willberedoublingoureffortsto

persuadethegovernmenttoendthisdiscriminatorytwo-tier

welfare stateandmake sure everyone has the money they

needtolive on.”

@LGeraghty

FROM 30 NOVEMBER 2020 BIGISSUE.COM| 17