North East Child Poverty Commission found some of the content of the Queen’s Speech today disappointing as it did not deliver meaningful support for families struggling with the cost of living. It also does little towards the government’s own agenda pf ‘levelling up’.
Responding to today’s Queen’s Speech, Amanda Bailey, Director of the North East Child Poverty Commission, said:
“The overwhelming message from organisations we work with across our region is that rapidly growing numbers of families – both in and out of work – are seriously struggling with the cost of living, and need meaningful support with this now. The Queen’s Speech disappointingly failed to deliver that, which will put even greater pressure on overstretched local services to help families just to keep their heads above water.
“We all want a North East in which every child can thrive and fulfil their potential – including through education – but they cannot do that whilst already high levels of hardship continue to grow.
“Unless the government takes decisive, targeted action to adequately support those on the lowest incomes through our social security system, longstanding inequalities in our region will only widen – restricting the opportunities of young people and taking them, and the North East as a whole, even further away from being ‘levelled up’.”
