MEMBERS of Bridgend County Borough Council have backed a motion to support an essentials guarantee campaign which calls for Universal Credit to be at a level that ensures everyone can afford “life’s essentials”.
The motion was passed at a full council meeting held on March 12, and highlighted what was said to be a need for reform to the welfare system to make sure people aren’t forced to turn to foodbanks in order to survive.
It was brought before the chamber by the council’s deputy leader Cllr Jane Gebbie who told the story of a local resident who was currently working two jobs in the service industry but relied on food parcels to feed her children as she struggled to make ends meet.
In the meeting she also quoted figures that said the Bridgend Foodbank had seen a substantial rise in the number of people needing an emergency food parcels in recent years with more than 8,000 parcels distributed in 2023-24, which was a 21% increase compared to 2018-19.
Cllr Gebbie also called members to support the campaign led by Trussell, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Bridgend foodbank, to ensure that the basic level of social security is enough to afford essentials urging the leader to write to local MPs as well as the chancellor and secretary to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Councillor Gebbie of Pyle, Kenfig Hill, and Cefn Cribwr said: “Together we can make a difference and advocate that no family in Bridgend or across the UK must go without essentials needed for a dignified life.”
Councillor Ross Penhale-Thomas of Maesteg West added: “My firm belief is that we have a moral and ethical responsibility in this area.
No-one in the UK should be unable to afford basic necessities. The rise in foodbank usage and extreme poverty in this country shows the current system is failing to provide a sufficient safety net.”
Speaking after the meeting a spokesperson from the Bridgend Foodbank said: “Currently five in six low-income households receiving Universal Credit nationwide are unable to afford the essentials such as food, bills, and toiletries.
“The Essentials Guarantee campaign, led by anti-poverty charities Trussell and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, calls on the UK Government to ensure that social security provides a genuine safety net for all so no-one has to turn to food banks to get by.”
The motion to support the campaign was later approved unanimously by members in attendance, with an amendment suggested by councillor Steven Bletsoe of Bridgend Central who asked the council to lobby the Welsh Government in addition to the UK Government.
