Your Letters: Cuts to Universal Credit, SimplyFresh and Library - The Redditch Standard

Your Letters: Cuts to Universal Credit, SimplyFresh and Library

Redditch Editorial 10th Oct, 2021   0

LAST week the Government ended much of the financial support provided to help people through the Covid-19 pandemic and this week it plans to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week.

These cuts risk a long Covid debt crisis as nationwide 11 million people have built up £25billion in arrears and debt since March 2020.

According to Jubilee Debt Campaign, in Redditch 8,518 people who receive Universal Credit will be affected by this cut.

This includes 3,594 people who are also currently in-work.




Problem debt disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in our society, and is higher amongst low-income households, women, lone parents, communities of colour, disabled people and renters.

A ‘long Covid debt hangover’ threatens to weigh down our community for years, worsening inequalities and making a genuine economic recovery more difficult, and at the personal level, all but impossible.


As well as stopping the £20 cut to Universal Credit the government seriously needs to tackle problem debt in the UK – this means introducing grants and making it easier for those in problem debt to write it down in a fair and manageable way.

Rev J Marsh, Oakenshaw

SOME 18 months ago I attempted to change my library books at Redditch Library.

The librarian could see that I was struggling with a breathing and walking problem.

She explained that the library does a free service where they collect the books we have read and deliver a new set of books for me to read the next month.

The service has been outstanding, my books delivered by a lovely lady called Jacky.

Given the time devoted by this dear lady and Liz Rowberry (Redditch Standard) I find it absolutely ridiculous that these volunteers will have to walk to car parks some way from the back of the library where they normally park for just 20 minutes.

It is an imposition which should not be happening.

Jacky and Liz are offering a well received service to myself and other disabled people in Redditch.

Why make things difficult for them?

Surely it cannot breach traffic regulations for such a limited time once a month when it has not caused any problems until now.

So Mr Council Spokesman we therefore ask you to reconsider or help our helpers to deliver our books.

A very upset

P Meredith, Redditch

REGARDING SimplyFresh (Redditch Standard).

When a decent food shop was the need for practically everyone who ever goes into the Kingfisher Centre it is so sad that SimplyFresh has closed already.

It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to recognise that the (very friendly and well-stocked) store didn’t stand a chance because it was poked into the most unviable space with no shop window, no footfall and the nightmare horror of trying to negotiate a path through Next for most people to even find it.

Shame on the centre management for shovelling it into a dingy corner and losing a brilliant opportunity to give the community something it needed.

Still, that seems to be par for the course currently so no point moaning because it doesn’t make any difference to any of the town’s powers that be.

Library next?

Resident, Church Hill

GOVERNMENT, councils et al are constantly warning us of the dangers to health from traffic pollution, from the unborn to the elderly.

To this end, congestion and emission charges are introduced, the drivers of older cars are penalised, etc.

I find it strange, therefore, that government, councils, education authorities and even parents do not raise a peep about the pollution outside schools twice a day.

Drivers park as close as possible to the school, ignoring all traffic restrictions.

They sit with engines running, some for an hour, and children in pushchairs going past get the full blast as do those leaving school.

Perhaps we could be told why this pollution does not cause any concern or is more money to be made introducing congestion charges etc in towns and cities.

M Morley, Headless Cross

NOTHING appears to have changed in the ranks of the Tory Party, especially at Worcestershire County Council.

Councillor Adam Kents gave negative comments that the Police should not be attending and supporting these events show his disregard to public safety of those in the LGBTQ+ minority community.

Praise goes to Inspector Page for calling him out on his comments.

Change needs to happen in the Tory Party and those in the Conservative Party that stand by and say nothing are just as bad.

J Baker

Diversity officer, Redditch Labour Party

THE PM is urging us back to our workplaces – he is getting impatient at our caution.

But, the number of deaths in September was still higher than in September 2020 when we had no vaccinations.

We now have around five million of the first people vaccinated no longer protected because anti bodies last only five months and the booster programme is not until after six months and one week.

Add in the period for the booster to become effective and we will soon have about 14 million walking around able to catch the virus.

We lie eighth in the league table of deaths in the world.

Only four of those countries have a higher death rate per hundred thousand than us.

You are a human, not a sheep. Don’t just follow the herd, use your brain and don’t put yourself and your families at risk unnecessarily, please.

M Bish, Abbeydale

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