The government’s ongoing Fair Funding Review for local authorities could harm people living in poverty, according to the report of a UN special rapporteur.
In his report, Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, claimed that “British compassion for those who are suffering has been replaced by a punitive, mean-spirited, and often callous approach”.
In a section on local government cuts, he said that due to government cuts since 2010 councils have transferred a greater share of service costs to users who are often the least able to pay.
On the Fair Funding Review, he said: “Many people with whom I spoke from local and central government expressed concern that this review could lead to even more negative policies affecting people living in poverty.”
The report was criticised by Work and Pensions Secretary, Amber Rudd, who said the tone of the report was “highly inappropriate”.
