Millions of Britons risk being pushed “over a cliff” by the withdrawal of financial support as the Covid-19 lockdown is lifted, the British Red Cross has warned.
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In a new report, the Red Cross found support for the most vulnerable plummeted after the second lockdown ended in December, and called on the government to provide £ 250million in emergency grants to prevent people do not have to go without food and clothing. or heating if the same happens when the current restrictions are relaxed.
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The call came as a separate report from the Living Wage Foundation found that more than a quarter (27%) of low-paid workers – over a million people – had regularly skipped meals during the coronavirus pandemic. last year, with nearly three in 10 (29 percent) of bill payments missing and a fifth (20 percent) behind on rent or mortgage.
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The survey found that more than two-thirds (67%) of those earning less than the actual living wage – £ 10.85 an hour in London and £ 9.50 elsewhere in the UK – had seen their wages decrease due to the pandemic.
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Almost half of the 2,128 workers surveyed by Survation for LWF said their low pay increased their level of anxiety, 34% it negatively affected relationships with friends and family, and 31% of those who were. parents said it had damaged their relationship with their children.
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Foundation Director Laura Gardiner said: “The fact that many low-income workers – including essential workers who pushed the economy through the pandemic – are being forced to skip meals or not. heating their homes is unacceptable.
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“As the vaccine rolls out and we return to some sense of normalcy, it is clear that the status quo is not an option. To recover and rebuild, and to truly improve living standards across the UK, we will need to focus more on raising people to a real living wage that covers the cost of living.
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