Up to 30 individuals are still sleeping rough every night across Northampton. The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol which gets them indoors overnight is meant to be activated when the temperature is predicted to drop below 0 for 3 consecutive nights by the Met. Office. This has been the case and is getting worse but nothing has yet been done. Northampton SWEP is notoriously late and slow in opening every year, which is simply not good enough, people are at the risk of severe illness, even death while others sit in the warm discussing options. Winter didn't sneak up on us and take us by surprise, so why unlike other areas is Northampton never prepared? Activate SWEP before we loose lives to the cold.

The government has already raised Universal Credit and working tax credit payments by £20 a week for 12 months, but those on benefits that have not yet been replaced by Universal have not received the same help. Recipients of legacy benefits are often amongst our most vulnerable, including disabled people, carers and people with young families. It is unacceptable that these people have been left facing hardship, just because they happen, through no fault of their own, to be claiming the ‘wrong’ kind of benefit.” Government focus is on appeasing the unprecedented numbers of new claimants for Universal Credit. But in the background, people on legacy benefits have slipped down the list of priorities and been forgotten. This cannot be allowed to continue.

We have seen over the last 12 - 18 months West Lothian Council begin to roll out a policy where vulnerable, sick or special needs adults are being means tested and some ultimately having to contribute to their care packages. My sister has a host of special needs including autism and learning difficulties, she attends a day centre two days a week which is the highlight of her week. It is the only time she gets to meet people outside her caring circle, so for her it's the only time she gets to meet friends and feel a sense of independence. The other 5 days a week she is pretty much housebound. These services provide our family, particularly my mother (my sisters primary carer) respite from caring duties which are a 24hr day job. During the first COVID-19 lockdown, these day centres were closed in West Lothian and didn't re-open again until September. Then in November West Lothian Council made a decision that my sister should start making a financial contribution to her care package services. After a little digging, I found that some people in West Lothian are having to contribute financially to the services they are provided. Some people are struggling to pay these fees, some have struggled so much that they have had to stop attending or using these lifeline services. People using Non-Residential Care Services aren't people who can work a little more to make up the difference, they are people who are living on state pensions or benefits and are struggling already. We as the Community of West Lothian should demand our elected officials and Local Authority do more to support our neighbours who are the most vulnerable in West Lothian. Imagine you were: Someone who has special needs and live on your own with no support. An Elderly parent caring for a son / daughter with disabilities. A retired couple and your spouse has a life limiting condition. Now imagine WLC sending you a letter, telling you that you need to contribute to your care package. They will be sending you an invoice for a contribution of between £20 - £180 per week, How would you feel? This is a choice! WLC are choosing to recoup money for crucial services from some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, all of this whilst investing large quantities of money in other projects. Resources are finite, however our priorities speak volumes for who we are and what we stand for. Do you agree with me that these services should be free for all?

Just a few months ago, Chancellor Rishi Sunak promised that he'd do 'whatever it takes' to support jobs and livelihoods across the UK. The reality is that millions of self-employed workers and freelancers have been left out in the cold, ineligible for support due to reasons like being newly self-employed, having a new business or being on maternity/paternity leave. There are so many other reasons why self-employed workers are ineligible for government support: almost 3 million workers are unable to access it as a result of an exhaustive list of requirements. [1] These requirements are leaving people worrying about whether they can put food on the table or get through the winter. The pandemic and lockdown massively impacted thousands of businesses, with many workers being forced to live off their savings. And millions of self-employed workers face the same reality once again. It's time the government stepped up and provided support to the millions of self-employed workers who are falling through the cracks of support. A huge petition signed by thousands can help reverse this harsh reality for millions of people across the UK. [1] Excluded UK: https://www.excludeduk.org/about

I took the decision to become self-employed in October 2019 when I set up my own recruitment business. I didn't take a salary until recently as I wanted to keep the money I invested in my business, in the business. When the coronavirus hit, the fact that I hadn't taken a salary meant I was not eligible for government coronavirus support packages that helped many self-employed workers survive during the pandemic. There are many other reasons why self-employed workers can not be eligible for government support: 2.9 million of us cannot access it! [1] The pandemic and lockdown massively impacted my business and I've had no option but to live off my savings. It's time the government stepped up and provided support to the millions of self-employed workers like me who are falling through the cracks of support. [1] Excluded UK: https://www.excludeduk.org/about

MPs have voted against extending free school meals into the holidays for the poorest children in the UK, in the middle of a pandemic. They should under no circumstances benefit from free or subsidised meals out of public funds themselves. If the public purse cannot afford to feed the poorest in our society, why are we feeding those least in need? Already well paid public servants, set to receive yet another generous pay increase, whilst millions face hardship, job losses and poverty, do not need the public to pay for their food and drink. Public funds should be spent on those most in need of them. Read more about what expenses MPs can claim for food here: https://fullfact.org/online/mps-free-housing-alcohol/ UPDATE 23/10/2020: Portia Lawrie, who started the petition, said: "I only started this petition yesterday because I was so angry that some MPs had rejected the chance in parliament, and Marcus Rashford's campaign, to extend free school meals into the school holiday. I wanted to point out the clear hypocrisy between that and the food and drink the public subsidise for MP's whilst denying support to those most in need of it." "I couldn't quite believe what I was watching unfold as hundreds of thousands of people threw their support behind it in less than 24 hours. It’s simply unfair that the government is refusing to use OUR money for one of the most basic responsibilities of a compassionate society - feeding hungry children. And the level of support this petition is getting shows clearly the level of hurt caused by those who voted against it." "Many MPs are pushing for free school meals to be extended into the school holidays, and I applaud them. But It’s time for the government to listen to them, and us, and make sure children across the UK do not go hungry any longer. Enough is enough."

In just under a month the suspension on the Minimum Income Floor (MIF) for Universal Credit payments will end. [1] This may seem like an insignificant fact but the suspension of the MIF has been the only lifeline for self-employed people like myself and 3 million others who fell through the gaps in the various coronavirus employment support packages [2]. What the reintroduction of MIF means is that any individual who earns less than £1,322 (after expenses) per calendar month will be considered unemployed even if they submit a tax return. They will be expected to be looking for work for 35 hours a week and to take any job that is offered even if it might clash with their pre-existing self-employment [3]. Their existing profession will not be considered viable. My sector has been on standby on the instruction of the government in the interests of public health. My business is only temporarily interrupted because of the closures of venues which will eventually reopen, and yet I have not received a penny in Covid-related support from either furlough or the SEISS. Like many others like me, I have managed to survive on Universal Credit and/or through the generosity of friends. With the reintroduction of the Minimum Income Floor, not only will I be forced to close my business, I will also not be able to afford to retrain in anything that I have the potential to succeed at. This will force self-employed artists like myself into precarious unskilled jobs, if available, and poverty. Productivity will drop and recovery of the arts sector post-pandemic will be delayed by a generation. It’s also a real slap in the face to artists who already make huge financial and personal sacrifices to be able to create joy and escapism for other people. The arts are viable, and we’re important. For the last 8 month, we’ve been largely ignored by the government despite their assertions that they won't "leave anyone behind" [4]. The removal of the MIF will be the last straw. __________________________ References: [1] The Social Security (Coronavirus) Regulations | "Section 2 deals with MIF suspension. Section 10 deals with the expiry of this legisaltion which says "(2) Regulations 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9 cease to have effect at the end of the period of eight months beginning on 13th March 2020." | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/371/made?fbclid=IwAR1aIcgQ62JmRfKr98sKkQDlqJV_mO1En8rLb281xz_KGEHRJsPVuP3Fy7Y [2] Calculation for the 3 million taxpayers excluded from UK Government Covid-19 financial support | ExcludedUK | "Self-employed excluded: 1.6 million, CJRS excluded – ltd company directors: 710,000, CJRS excluded – other employees: 790,000" | https://www.excludeduk.org/three-million-breakdown [3] Universal Credit: Your Responsibilities | https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/your-responsibilities [4] "You have not been forgotten. We will not leave you behind. We are all in this together." | Rishi Sunak (Chancellor of the Exchequer) | https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1243235450908803072

This is a local route for our children to walk to and from school, it is also used by many children to get buses to and from school. Drivers will regularly go over 60mph on this road and unless we have speed cameras that’s not going to change After the tragic incident where a local resident lost his life due to a speeding driver, action needs taking!!

Many holiday makers have had their cruises cancelled because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Iglu cruises are breaking the law by not refunding customers within the statutory 14 days and some customer are having to wait 6 months putting them into a downward spiral of debt.

The coronavirus pandemic will dramatically increase unemployment and poverty. Many people are already struggling to put food on the table and this is only going to get worse. The government needs to act fast to stop children in the UK going hungry. A lack of nutrition at an early age can cause huge problems later on in life and stops children from being able to concentrate at school. One of the solutions recommended by the national food strategy is to expand free school meals and holiday hunger schemes from children for all households on universal credit. It’s a simple way to help ensure children across the UK are getting enough food to eat.

Many elderly people are confined to their rooms and in some cases bed-bound. Despite the best efforts of care home staff, they are heavily reliant on meeting family members to maintain a reasonable quality of life and mental well-being. The families of care home residents also experience great stress through not being able to see elderly relatives. Recent research has established that elderly people deprived of visits by family and friends will deteriorate both mentally and physically.

Imagine arriving to work five minutes late and having your pay docked. For anyone who depends on benefits, it only takes missing the bus to the JobCentre to be given a sanction and lose payments. With the UK economy going to be hit hard with job loses in the thousands, we cannot let benefit claimants have their money stopped or cut. During the height of the coronavirus crisis, there were no sanctions. The government stopped them for 3 months. We know that the benefits system can function without sanctioning people. But benefit sanctions are set to return in England. Huge public backlash could force the government to rethink their decision, and stop the unfair and cruel sanctions for good.