Mr. Robin Hanan:

Of the different symptoms we could reference, I will add the increase in precarious and low quality work. Many people are in work that is more insecure, lasts for fewer hours and affords them less protection from unemployment. Among our members, there has been a crunch due to service cuts across the board, including in education, and reduced incomes, which affects what people can buy.

It is difficult to choose just two priorities among the complex of measures that need to be taken, but one is a five year programme to increase the minimum social welfare payment to meet the minimum essential living standards in order that people can live with dignity. This would be linked with a tapered withdrawal of secondary benefits as people return to work, thereby removing some poverty and employment traps. The availability of social housing is well recognised in public debate as being a crisis issue. However, there has been no investment to provide the answers.