In-work poverty: amendment seeks to keep it as priority
THE States is being urged not to abandon its commitment to tackling in-work poverty, as it prepares to rearrange its priorities for the remainder of the political term.
A review of the subject by the Scrutiny Management Committee was debated by the States in 2019, when the then Policy & Resources Committee won support for a commitment to place more focus on the issue.
A subsequent debate on the Policy & Resource Plan later that year resulted in a further resolution to direct P&R to investigate relevant policies.
However, in its latest recommendations in the Government Work Plan, the current P&R committee – which has a new membership following the 2020 election – has suggested the commitment can be dropped ‘as co-ordination of policy reviews and new policy development is now driven through the GWP’.
However, this assertion has not found favour with the current Employment & Social Security committee, which opposes unanimously rescinding the resolution.
ESS president Deputy Peter Roffey has placed an amendment which seeks to retain it, which will be seconded by his vice-president Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez.
‘As a key stakeholder in this work, Employment & Social Security does not agree with the rationale provided by the Policy & Resources Committee for the proposed rescission of the resolution, that being that co-ordination of policy reviews and new policy development is now driven through the Government Work Plan,’ the deputies said.
‘If that were the case, all extant resolutions should be proposed for rescission.'
They argue that a cross-committee and cross-sector approach to the issue was still needed and that it remained an important issue, ‘particularly as in-work poverty is likely to be exacerbated by current economic conditions, including the rising cost of living’.
When approached by the Guernsey Press for its view on the extent of the problem, Citizens Advice Guernsey said it was seeing more cases of in-work poverty and the situation was expected to get worse, due to economic conditions.
‘We do have clients who really struggle on the salaries they earn, now more so than ever, especially when rent is very high,’ said chief executive, Kerry Ciotti.
‘For some, the salary doesn’t even cover the rent. Some clients are simply not able to make ends meet.’
Mrs Ciotti did not want to express any view on the debate about how the issue should be incorporated into government work streams. However, she did make clear that the charity was keen to offer help in finding solutions.
‘Hopefully, the States will speak to us about it,’ she said.
‘We can show evidence and help them draw up a plan, if that’s the way they want to go.’
. The GWP debate is on 28 June.
