UK govt. accused of unjust welfare cuts

A coalition of leading churches has accused the British government of pursuing a program of unjust cuts in welfare payments targeting the most vulnerable in the society.

In a joint report released on Sunday, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland joined forces to criticize the UK government of perpetuating myths about poverty in an attempt to justify its changes to the country’s welfare system, including the controversial “bedroom tax”.
The “bedroom tax”, which is due to be introduced in April, refers to a cut in housing benefit for claimants whose home has a spare room.
However, the four churches warned that the cuts will leave the most vulnerable people in society paying a “disproportionate price”.
The Methodist Church’s public policy adviser, Paul Morrison, told the BBC the cuts suggest people in poverty deserve the situation they are in.
He added: “Our feeling is that these benefit changes are a symptom of an understanding of people in poverty in the United Kingdom that is just wrong.”
Meanwhile, a press release from Britain’s Labour party said the Coalition’s combination of tax and benefit changes since 2010 have left the average family in the UK almost £900 worse off a year.
Thousands of people took to the streets across more than 50 towns and cities in Britain on Sunday to call for the Tory-led government to axe cuts to housing benefit for those with spare bedrooms.