MILLIONAIRE Work and Pensions Minister Lord Freud insists the sharp increase in people resorting to food banks has no link whatsoever to welfare reform and benefit sanctions.
Some 97,690 job seekers, 26 Anglican bishops and 15 leaders of other Christian denominations would disagree with him. Last year, the total number of sanctioned job seekers reached its highest level since Job Seekers’ Allowance was first introduced in 1996.
Food banks nationwide have fed more than 500,000 people in the past 12 months.
Being among one of the richest countries in the world, this Tory-led Government should be ashamed for causing unnecessary hardship on the poor. The same goes for their poodles at the Job Centre. They happily implement these hostile and brutal sanctions just to reach Government targets.
Stephen Dixon, Redcar.
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