A huge problem in Peterborough

Children are our f uture. We in Peterborough are generally proud of our children and of course we take our responsibilities to them seriously

However, up to date figures from The Children’s Society paint a picture to confirm what many of us believed. Peterborough has a child poverty problem .

Around 4,212 children in Peterborough are living in families with problem debt. Each child has a name,I know a few.

Families in problem debt amount to 2,418. Some parents I know seem almost at the end of their tether, shattered with worry.

The proportion of families in Peterborough with problem debt is 14%. Most fall in the bracket of decent and hard working people.

Peterborough has a low wage economy, the average wage is circa £300 a week, so many get a great deal less. The average UK wage inclusive of low paid areas is over £500 a week .

In Peterborough we have been badly hit by reduction in financial help for families, for instance in Family Credit.

We have been hit again by many people having to pay Council Tax for the first time.

The Bedroom Tax is hurting many.

The removal of Disability Benefit, and the apparently unfair and frequently inaccurate way disabled people are now assessed, is wrecking lives.If a partly disabled person cannot attend a compulsory training session, or misses a Job Centre interview, they are sanctioned with ESA reduced to £28.75p a week for 13 weeks.

This on top of everything. They have no money to pay their bills and feed and clothe their children as well. So bills rightly are not paid.

Anyone who does not understand what this means to low paid families might want to go on to the Children’s Society website and play the “Debt Game” on there.

Government planned austerity cuts in funding to Peterborough City Council are going to make things worse, forcing reduction and/or closure of many services. Children’s Services, Youth Services, Mental Health and Disability Services are amongst the many that could be badly hit.

I believe that anyone with compassion, regardless of political affiliation or financial position, might want to write to the Prime Minister and his friend Mr Osborne, and ask them to please change their policies before its too late .We will think more of them if they do.

John Knowles Independent Councillor . Paston and South

Gunthorpe

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