Category Archives: poverty

Grandparents who become full-time carers plead: ‘We can’t do it all for love’

October 21, 2012   Carers, poverty

Public backs support for relatives who must care for children

One night earlier this year Stephen Merchant, 55, was contacted by his local council’s children’s services department. Twelve hours later, he was the full-time carer for his grandson, Charlie, who will be three years old on Wednesday. “Life changes in a phone call,” says Merchant, who comes from Northampton.

He had to give up his job as a driver. “My employers offered a baby seat in the lorry,” he jokes, “but Charlie comes first.” Charlie was taken from Merchant’s son and girlfriend when it was found that the baby had fractures. “I was the only one in the family who could change lifestyles at the time,” he says. The two now live on around £250 a week, or £12,000 a year. “I’m not flush, but I can survive. The family help. I’ve got bags of clothes for Charlie that will keep him in trousers until he’s five. He’s happy at nursery. Charlie’s great. He’s part and parcel of my life now.”

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Energy postcode lottery hits poorest hardest

October 2, 2012   Carers, poverty

A freezing spell is looming

Pylons in WalesPhil Noble/PA Archive/Press Association Images

A freezing spell is looming, the cheapest energy tariffs are turning to dust, and we can all expect our energy bills to reach horrifying levels over the winter. However, some people will be hit far harder than others – and new research reveals that it’s those who are already worst-off who will face the biggest shocks.

So how can this be right, and what can people do?

Most expensive

Energyhelpline.com studied average energy prices across the UK, and revealed some startling differences. Those in the most expensive parts of the country pay an average of £82 more a year than those in the cheapest areas of the country.

The most expensive area emerged as Wales: North Wales coming in at number one and South and Central at number two. A typical annual bill for gas and electricity for families in Wales is a hefty £1,373. They were followed by Southern England at £1,351, North Scotland at £1,350 and the West Midlands, where consumers pay £1,333.

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Benefit reforms ‘will hit disabled’

August 17, 2012   Carers, disability, family, mental health, poverty

Low-income families and the disabled will be among the hardest hit by the pending abolition of housing benefit, a report has claimed.

Social tenants will “lose hundreds of millions of pounds” as a result of the UK Government’s welfare reforms, according to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).

Housing benefit will be phased out from April 2013 and substituted with the new universal credit, a single payment which will replace the current range of working age benefits. But the new order could result in “significant financial losses” to tenants on low incomes living in housing association and co-operative properties, the SFHA said.

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