Point North responds to Chancellor’s 2024 budget
Point North welcomes measures aimed at supporting employees, low-income households, children, and pensioners, but calls for more government backing for charities.
The autumn budget offers some welcome relief for families, children and pensioners through measures like the extension of the Household Support Fund, NHS investment, and increases to the National Minimum Wage and State Pension Credit. These steps will directly improve the lives of many across the North East.
Support for carers and breakfast clubs for children are especially needed measures that can help lighten the load on families and strengthen the foundations of opportunity for young people.
Yet, while the budget offers meaningful support, we’re concerned about the lack of consideration for charities, who are vital to local economies and social support systems. Increased employer National Insurance contributions, at the same time as increase in wages, create added pressures for charities that could limit their service delivery and staff retention.
Michelle Cooper, Chief Executive of Point North, said:
“While we support the Budget’s measures for vulnerable households and working families, the Government’s approach falls short in tackling the root causes of key socio-economic issues like shoplifting and unemployment. Poverty and inequality are complex issues requiring more than fiscal solutions.
“Our concern is that many charities are already being asked to do more with fewer resources. They’re stretched thin, filling critical gaps in essential services, and there is a growing risk that many will soon struggle to cope. With the announcement of wage increases, which are both right and necessary, organisations delivering Government or local authority contracts face a concerning shortfall in funding.
“Without immediate action to address this funding shortfall, countless charities will face unsustainable pressures, threatening the essential services they provide to communities in the North East and across the county.”
