Bristol Friends speak out against housing benefit cuts
Bristol Quakers involved in Housing Benefit Poverty Hearing where claimants will share their stories
Friends in Bristol have backed a plan to address ‘an epidemic of homelessness fuelled by housing benefit cuts’.
Bristol Quakers, in partnership with local advice centres, will be holding a Housing Benefit Poverty Hearing on Friday 18 May at Bristol Council House. Five or six claimants will talk about the effect that housing benefit cuts are having on their lives and those attending will be encouraged to consider what can be done.
Bristol Poverty Action, a group with a strong Quaker involvement, say that around 6,500 private tenants in Bristol will lose £15 to £25 a week in housing benefit, while a further 900 single people aged under 35 will lose an average of £40.
Local Quaker Mark Smalley told the Friend that he was involved because of ‘the fundamental Quaker principle of speaking truth to power’. He explained: ‘What, we are asking, is it like to have £25 less per week to live on because of the cuts in housing benefit?’ He also expressed a concern that people on housing benefit are being forced to move home.
Hilary Saunders, another Bristol Friend, said: ‘Successive governments have chosen to pay housing benefit to private landlords rather than building enough social housing. When I heard about the extent of the expenditure cuts and the housing benefit cuts in particular, I felt despair’.
She added: ‘We hope that listening to what the claimants have to say will prompt employers, landlords, MPs, councillors, housing organisations and charitable trusts to recognise the urgent need to look for ways of improving the situation’.
