Our response to the Government’s Spending Review

Today the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, presented the Government’s first spending review to Parliament, setting out the economic plan for the country.

In response The Salvation Army’s Justice and Reconciliation Officer, Captain John Clifton said: “Costs are up, and welfare is down and millions of people in the UK are struggling right now. 

“Though we welcome the Government’s promise to fund more social housing and extend free school meals, this will only help keep a lid on the boiling pot of need, it won’t turn off the heat. 

“Issues such as poverty, homelessness and unemployment are deeply interlinked. These overlapping problems behind hardship, feed each other and cannot be addressed in isolation. Collaborative working across Government departments will be needed more than ever to maximise the impact of the limited spending review funding or risk the most vulnerable in society paying the price.

“Thousands of people are already turning to The Salvation Army for help to survive because Government support systems have failed them. They are the last people who should be shouldering the burden of the Government’s management of public finances.

“As both a church and charity that supports vulnerable people, we stand with the poor and marginalised. We urge those in power to act with justice and mercy because behind the numbers and budgets are real people whose lives are being affected by these decisions.”