The Chancellor delivered his Spending Review yesterday. Here is our official response:
The St Vincent de Paul Society (England & Wales) welcomes the announcement of increased spending to tackle regional inequalities through investment in infrastructure and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support communities left behind economically.
The SVP remains concerned, however, about the decision to cut the foreign aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of GDP. Cutting the foreign aid budget will have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of people already living in extreme poverty and facing hardship across the world.
This is a crucial time for the UK Government to show its commitment to tackling extreme poverty in the southern hemisphere. The aid budget is an expression of solidarity with communities facing hardship around the world and demonstrates a commitment to tackling deep rooted issues of poverty and inequality. The SVP believes that we should not work in isolation, but look out for our neighbours, close and distant, and foreign aid is one way in which we can do this.
The SVP is also concerned and disappointed the Chancellor did not take this opportunity to share updates on Universal Credit rates. We are a signatory of the Keep the Lifeline campaign and we are supporting the call to make the £20 increase to Universal Credit permanent, and to extend the increase to legacy benefits.
As many livelihoods remain uncertain and the number of people claiming Universal Credit remains at an unprecedented high, the SVP believes that it is a mistake not to provide the security households need to be able to plan ahead. The government has undertaken some great work this year to support struggling families, but now is not the time to halt the progress that has been made so far.