Sector's verdict on Budget

Some will gain and some will not

Voluntary and community representatives give verdict on Budget

Representatives of charities in Northern Ireland today welcomed the fact that 200,000 children are being lifted out of poverty and that 600,000 low-income pensioners are being taken out of the income tax net.

“We want to make sure these changes benefit children and older people in Northern Ireland,” said Frances McCandless , Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA). “This was definitely a Budget for working families but there was little on offer for lone parents, people with disabilities and others on means tested benefits.”

“However, overall the Chancellor’s speech was a bit of a damp squib and did not live up to expectations as a ‘green’ Budget. It has no ‘big idea’.

“We welcome the new fund for local communities in England and hope the money arising for Northern Ireland will be spent on the same things. We will also watch with interest the consultation in England on Gift Aid and hope to see a similar consultation here because there is a lot more government could be doing to make tax effective giving a reality,” she added.

Elaine McElduff, Children in Northern Ireland , welcomed the focus on supporting families and wanted this done in the broadest sense.

“We want to see this applied in Northern Ireland and to ensure that children here are also lifted out of poverty. We need more specific action and targets to reduce child poverty here in the Children and Young People’s Action Plan launched yesterday.

“Investment in early years is essential, all the more so since Northern Ireland lags behind the rest of the UK. We want equivalent investment in support for families with older children ie those aged 16-18 rather than pushing the anti-social behaviour agenda.”

Ms McElduff added that we need to balance the Budget measures to encourage people to work with a choice for parents to stay at home with their children.

Age Concern’s representative, Elaine Campbell , welcomed the extra money to help pensioners whose company pension funds had gone bust. But she called for the restoration of the link between pensions and average earnings sooner than 2012 to prevent any future pensions crisis.

“We are particularly disappointed that there is no increase in winter fuel payment, which has not risen since 2000. Help for insulation and energy efficiency may have little impact if older people cannot afford the spiralling cost of energy.

“There are some welcome changes in the Budget but older people will not feel that Gordon Brown has taken their concerns on board,” Ms Campbell said.

Seamus Gallagher, Northern Ireland Environment Link , believed the Chancellor’s speech was ‘quite disappointing overall’.

“A £400 car tax for gas guzzlers is far from enough. Even with the 2p increase in fuel duty, there has been a reduction in motoring costs since Labour came to office.

“Emissions from transport in Northern Ireland account for 27% of all carbon emissions. The Budget will do little to reduce this figure and there is nothing to encourage people to use public transport, which was very disappointing.”

Mr Gallagher said there was no reason why all houses could not be built to carbon neutral standards. “But a vast housing stock already exists and we need steps to encourage renovations on these buildings to make them more environmentally friendly. The Chancellor must push the European Union to reduce or abolish VAT on energy efficiency equipment. This would complement the removal of VAT charges from the cost of restoring existing buildings.”

Lesley Baillie, Rural Community Network , said rural communities will be pleased to hear of any investment in rural infrastructure but regretted that there was no mention today of investment in public and community transport.

“Measures to help people back into work with large employers will make little difference in rural areas but the steps to improve skills may be helpful and so may incentives for small employers. However, we also need to invest in the skills of adults.

She also welcomed the proposed £80m fund for local communities and help for childcare but stressed that the care must be provided in rural as well as urban areas. “We very much welcome greater community use of school buildings and sports facilities.”

Advice NI spokesperson, Kevin Higgins , welcomed the increase in tax credits and pension credits but claimed there was little today for lone parents, jobless single people, long-term unemployed people or people with disabilities.

“These people are being left behind. The changes could widen the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. I’m also very disappointed that the Chancellor only mentioned housing affordability but did not take the opportunity to introduce measures to help people buy their own homes. This is a huge issue in Northern Ireland.”

Jackie Loughrey from the Law Centre NI described it as ‘a budget for families’ but only for working families.

“It fits well with the strategy to abolish child poverty by 2020. It is child-focused eg £1bn extra in tax credits over three years for the poorest children. These are the ‘gainers’ in the Budget but while welfare reform promotes a return to work for all claimants, there was little for lone parents, disabled people or anybody on means tested benefits.

“This would have helped us to target child poverty outside of families in work. Any increase in benefit has to be welcomed. Where I have concerns is that Mr Brown has not defined how the extra ‘welfare’ money to Departments is to be spent. Will the extra money mean more in people’s hands or will it go into administration?” she asked.

Eleanor Speers, Educational Guidance Service for Adults , welcomed the higher spending on education over the next few years and hoped this would be true in Northern Ireland as well. But she added that there was little for most adults.

“If you’re young it’s great. Doubling of apprenticeships and giving them a living wage are good but there is no help for over 25s. Once you pass that age there’s nothing eg adults who do not have the skills and qualifications they need; that is very disappointing.”

She also had doubts about selling the student loan debt book for £6 billion. “There is a risk of alarming people who are thinking of entering higher education because they may be more worried about the prospect of debt,” she said.

“There is no point commenting on arts, culture or their role in innovation because Mr Brown didn’t,” said Brenda Kent, Voluntary Arts Ireland .

“Now that we are thriving as a nation where is the investment in creativity to keep us ahead. If we want to be recognised on the world stage, we need to concentrate on this.

However I do welcome the £80m fund for local communities and hope it will be used to acknowledge the role of the arts and creative industries. But Northern Ireland’s share will be small and less than we are losing from the arts because of the latest raid on the Lottery,” Ms Kent added.

For more information contact Paul McGill at NICVA; tel: 028 9087 7777; mob: 0772 1746 805.