Vulnerable people will feel the brunt of government welfare cuts

There were also tentative steps towards addressing our country’s housing crisis but we have questions about how this will happen if the civil service is scaled back.

Changes to benefits

The government announced major changes to benefits that could push people we work with further into poverty and closer to homelessness.

There will be stricter assessments for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and lower health-related Universal Credit top-up payments. These are lifelines for people with a disability, ill health, or mental health condition that prevents them from working.

The government says the welfare budget is unsustainable but try telling that to someone who’s just trying to survive. They could soon face reduced payments or the removal of certain benefits altogether.

They deserve a benefits system that enables them to regain independence and dignity. It should cover the basic cost of living instead of leaving people struggling to pay their mortgage or rent and having to make up the difference with money that would otherwise be spent on heating and food.

Help into work

There will be more funding for employment support – help to get people back into work. If done properly, employment support can address the issues that are creating a barrier to someone finding work and living independently, such as their mental health or living with a disability. [

Porchlight and other charities already help people in this way and we’d like to see the Department of Work and Pensions work more closely with the charity sector.

We’re glad to hear people will be able to try out new jobs to see if they’re a correct fit without risking their benefits. Hopefully, this will end people being forced into work that’s unsuitable for them, which can exacerbate mental health issues they are experiencing.

The housing crisis

The Chancellor spoke about £2 billion for social and affordable homes next year. Up to 18,000 could be built.

Right now, unaffordable rents and mortgages, combined with sky high bills, are pushing people into homelessness. The number of families living in temporary accommodation has also reached breaking point.

Some experts say that 90,000 new homes are needed each year to keep up with the demand this country faces. These proposed 18,000 social and affordable homes could make a significant dent in that number, and we need to keep pressure on the government to achieve this target… especially if the number of civil servants working on this could soon be cut back.

This country needs even more significant investment in social rented homes where people can afford to live without being pushed to the brink.

Cutting back the civil service – what does this mean for the housing and homelessness crisis?

The government announced plans to significantly scale back the size of the civil service workforce. In theory it would create big savings, but what could it mean in practice?

It’s possible that cuts could reduce the number of people working on the government’s housing plans. Given the scale of this country’s housing crisis, this would be a mistake.

We’ll be calling on the government to make sure vital services like housing are unaffected. Otherwise, the crisis we’re currently experiencing will grow.

No new investment in homelessness and mental health services

Homelessness and mental health problems are rising. At the same time, help for people facing these issues is disappearing due to funding cuts.

There was no mention of these issues in the Spring statement. But everybody must have somewhere to turn to for help. Porchlight and other charities are doing what we can, but we’re stretched thin.

We’ll continue calling for more homelessness and mental health funding so that people get the support they need, more quickly, for as long as they need it.