02 April 2013
Churches ‘deeply disappointed’ at Osborne’s defence of benefit cuts
Four major British Churches have described Chancellor George
Osborne's defence of the Government's benefit cuts as 'deeply
disappointing,' following his speech earlier today.
"We are deeply disappointed that Mr Osborne is continuing to use
the misguided rhetoric of people on benefits versus 'hardworking
taxpayers'. The Government's own figures show that most people on
benefits not only want to work, but many of them are already in
work and paying high rates of tax," said Paul Morrison, Public
Issues Policy Adviser, speaking on behalf of the Baptist Union of
Great Britain, Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and Church
of Scotland.
"We desperately want people to achieve their God-given potential,
but that can't happen when the most vulnerable are being made even
poorer. The churches are serving their local communities day in and
day out. They reflect the breadth of society and are in touch with
the needs of the people they serve. We hope to reflect those
concerns, and we look forward to the day when myths about poverty
are no longer acceptable in public life.
"While nine out of ten working households will benefit from an
increased tax allowance, the poorest working households will
benefit the least and will be affected most by the benefit cuts
introduced this month. It is absolutely clear that the net result
of these changes will not be nine out of ten working households
better off, as has been widely reported."
The Churches' report,
The lies we tell ourselves, says that statistics have been
manipulated and misused by politicians across the spectrum, as well
as by the media, to support the belief that the poor deserve their
poverty, and therefore deserve the cuts.
The Chancellor has been sent a copy of the report.
"This is not a party political issue - sidelining and
misrepresenting the poor is unacceptable whoever you are," added Mr
Morrison. "Lies about poverty are the responsibility of us all,
whether we tell, share or just tolerate them. It is everyone's duty
to ensure that the poor are not misrepresented and that policy
matches up to hard facts.
"We invite Mr Osborne to read the report and consider how he might
challenge myths about poverty as he seeks to balance Britain's
books."
Notes
1. Read the Churches' full report and take action
here.
2. Paul Morrison is available for interview - contact a member of
the Media
Service.
3. A hi-res image of Paul is available
here.
4. Follow the debate on Twitter using the hashtag
#liesaboutpoverty.