By Aaron Barbour
Dai Davies MP at launch of Need NOT Greed Campaign along with Secretary of State DWP James Purnell (photo Eva Savojic www.evasajovic.co.uk )
Following the successul launch of our Need NOT Greed campaign on 24th Februrary in the House of Commons, it was great to see that Dai Davies MP referred to the launch in yesterday’s debate in the House on Unemployment. You can read the full debate from Hansard (the record of Parliamentary proceedings) via They Work For You website.
Mr Davies said “People need support before they get there (to Jobcentre Plus), but often those support mechanisms are not in place. Jobcentres need to work more closely with other organisations and signpost people much better. A week ago, the Secretary of State (Rt. Hon James Purnell ) and I were at a presentation by a campaign group called ‘Need Not Greed’. We listened to some of the experiences of people who were struggling through the benefits system and the unemployment system, trying to find work. Jobcentre Plus does all it can, but huge numbers of people are falling through the net. Individuals are often not informed of the welfare rights that are available to them. Again, there is a failure to join up what is out there in the marketplace.”
It’s great to see our local experience, knowledge and recommendations being taken on and actively used by politicans and policymakers in Westminster. If you’d like to find out more about our Need NOT Greed campaign then visit our dedicated website: www.neednotgreed.org.uk And download a free copy of our latest Social Change booklet on the Informal Economy.
