Labour accused of 'really cruel' welfare cut in Portsmouth

At a recent council meeting, members of the Liberal Democrat-led administration warned that the cut would deepen poverty across the city. First introduced in 2021 and extended six times, the HSF has helped struggling households with essential spending in response to the rising cost of living.

Council surveys show that 76 per cent of residents are worried about the cost of living. Inflation rose by 2.8 per cent in the year to February, while employers now face a 1.2 per cent increase in National Insurance contributions.

Meanwhile, the energy price cap is up 6.4 per cent, and average water bills are expected to rise by 36 per cent over the next five years - with Southern Water customers reportedly facing increases of up to 47 per cent.

Council officers warned that worsening cost of living could result in more borrowing, increased arrears, higher demand for food banks and greater hardship for both adults and children. Without the HSF, they said, “many households would go hungry.”

The council received £1.88m for the six months from October to March. For the following 12 months, it will receive £3.32m - an 11.9 per cent drop in annual funding compared to the previous rate. In response, the council will reduce the value of food vouchers issued via schools and cut grants to food aid organisations.

Councillor Lee Hunt said he could not understand why support was being removed from “the poorest people living in marginalised communities,” describing the decision as “really cruel.”

Councillor Hugh Mason said those working with the city’s most vulnerable “recognise now they are in a dire situation,” warning that without the fund, “they would sink completely, sink without trace.” He called the cut “a disgrace” and said the HSF was “vitally important.”

Councillor Kimberly Barrett said the cost of living crisis “is not going away and it’s not getting better.” She shared the story of a resident who was so upset about paying bills that she had to make a referral to a food bank. “We shouldn’t be putting the burden on the poorest members of our society,” she added.

Council leader Steve Pitt called the cut “appalling,” saying the new government lacked “a social conscience.” He said he had been “optimistic” after the general election, but that confidence had now faded.

He went further, saying the crisis now reflected the “abject failure of successive governments to grow the economy.” He blamed the refusal to address the impacts of Brexit and criticised ministers for sending “nonsense” letters that even officials couldn’t understand.

Without urgent action, he warned, people feeling “quite rightly left behind” could be drawn to “divisionist populist” movements with “nefarious objectives”.

“This is crunchtime for this country,” he said. “This government needs to start caring about the people that need help.”