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Huge rise in UK homelessness & Hammond’s new plans

Sunday, 18 November 2018 11:51 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 18 November 2018 4:39 PM ]

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond poses for pictures with the Budget Box as he leaves 11 Downing Street in London, on October 29, 2018. © AFP

To outline the decline in the standard of living in the UK, to discuss Philip Hammond and his new plans to tackle crucial government cuts.

It seems that, according to the British Government, everything including homelessness - is connected to Brexit. Britains Chancellor of Exchequer Philip Hammond, the man in charge of the British economy, says an end to years of austerity will depend on whether the UK secures a deal on its withdrawal from the European Union.

He claimed that if Britain fails to reach a deal on Brexit, the country must reverse plans to stop a decade of budget cuts and financial hardship. This has real effects on millions of people. According to a report by a British newspaper, government welfare reforms are fueling a rise in homelessness in towns and cities across Britain.

The Observer newspaper claims that more and more people had become unable to afford homes as a result of government cuts to social housing benefits and a shift to lump sum payments in the universal credit system. The Observer said it had interviewed homelessness charities across England where they said universal credit was a major factor in causing destitution and rough sleeping.

There have been claims that the poorest in society are partly suffering because of changes in how benefits are being paid. Universal credit, which came into force since 2013 as meant to replace a six-tier benefit system. But the complexity of the system is blamed for making poverty and the risk of homelessness even worse leading to an increase in applications for social housing. Universal credit has been accused by Parliamentarians for increasing debt, rent arrears and food bank use across the UK.

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