ESS to try again for higher income support after tied vote

Just three working days after its request for a 2.9% increase was rejected on a tied vote, ESS decided yesterday to go back to the States in the next few weeks and ask deputies to reconsider the issue – but only for rates of income support.

It has already finalised a policy letter in time for a fresh States debate on 21 June on an interim increase in income support between July and December to help the island’s least affluent households during a period of high inflation.

‘Before the debate, Policy & Resources wrote a letter of comment saying it would be more supportive if the increase was targeted at means-tested benefits only and during the States debate some other members said the same thing.

‘The only benefit that is strictly means-tested is income support and so, in response to what those deputies said, we feel justified in believing that a majority of deputies would support an increase to income support and justified in asking them to reconsider,’ said ESS president Peter Roffey.

Benefit rates were last changed in January, when they were put up by 7%, but annual inflation is now running at 8.3%.

Deputy Roffey said his committee believed that most deputies could see that this was particularly harsh on the island’s least affluent households.

‘We are talking about those people who overwhelmingly are least able to put up with this period of high inflation.

‘There are lots of people for whom life is really difficult at the moment. If we judge that actually a majority of States members want to provide them with a little more help which they desperately need, I think we are absolutely right to try to secure that outcome.’

He rejected a suggestion that ESS was acting unreasonably by refusing to accept a decision of the Assembly. He said the fresh proposals were different because they excluded other increases proposed last week, such as to the rate of the old age pension and family allowance.

‘I don’t think we could have resubmitted the same proposals. That would have been disrespectful towards a democratic decision.

‘However, these proposals are more narrowly focused and a response to the criticism that our original proposals weren’t targeted enough.’

Increasing income support rates for the second half of the year would cost approximately £500,000 whereas the previous proposal to increase all benefits and pensions would have cost approximately £3.5m.

However, when the fresh proposals are debated, any two deputies could submit an amendment to vote on the original proposals instead of ESS’s revised recommendations.

Last week’s vote was tied 18-18.

The Guernsey Press contacted the deputies who did not vote.

Deputies Marc Leadbeater, who abstained, and Charles Parkinson, who was absent, did not respond.

Deputy Gavin St Pier, who was absent, said he was unable to attend the meeting ‘due to an off-island family commitment’.

Deputy Tina Bury, a member of ESS, who was also absent, said: ‘I was unavoidably absent from the States on Thursday morning due to my caring responsibilities and would have returned in the afternoon.

‘I was wholly supportive of the proposals to assist the most financially

vulnerable people in our community in this cost of living crisis and was sorely disappointed that a majority of members in the Assembly did not feel the same way.’

ESS is understood to be confident that it would have won last week’s vote if all States members had been present and voted.