Bridgend CBC endorse Guarantee our Essentials campaign

Bridgend County Borough Council has unanimously backed a motion in support of the Essentials Guarantee, a campaign calling for Universal Credit to be set at a level that ensures everyone can afford life’s essentials.

The motion, passed at a council meeting on March 12th, highlights the urgent need for reform to the welfare system to prevent people from being forced to turn to food banks to survive. The decision makes Bridgend one of a growing number of councils across the UK to support the campaign.

Bridgend Foodbank has seen a substantial rise in the number of people needing an emergency food parcels, with over 8,000 parcels distributed in 2023/24, a 21% increase compared to 2018/19.

Currently, 5 in 6 low-income households receiving Universal Credit nationwide are unable to afford the essentials such as food, bills, and toiletries. The Essentials Guarantee campaign, led by anti-poverty charities Trussell and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls on the UK Government to ensure that social security provides a genuine safety net for all, so no one has to turn to food banks to get by.

Deputy Leader Councillor Jane Gebbie, who proposed the motion, said: “Together we can make a difference and advocate that no family in Bridgend, or across the UK, must go without essentials needed for a dignified life.”

If you have experiences of hardship as a result of Universal Credit and would like to learn more about it or get involved in the campaign, please contact Matthew Stevens at 07936 554850 or [email protected].

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