People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll has called for an emergency meeting of the Stormont Assembly to discuss the levels of hardship facing communities over the winter period. Citing a reduction in the Winter Fuel Payment spending and the failure to allocate £55 million earmarked for an Energy Support Scheme, Gerry said the Assembly should pause its full recess until emergency measures are taken.
He has submitted an emergency motion, which he is calling on all MLAs to support. This move comes as yet another fuel price hike is announced, and off the back of a protest outside Stormont yesterday which demanded that Stormont deal with hardship levels this winter.
Gerry said:
“There is a hardship emergency facing many across the North and the Executive has utterly failed to address it. This failure means families will go cold and hungry and I don’t think it is appropriate for the Executive to break for Christmas in this situation.
“We know that £55 million was identified for an Energy Payment Support Scheme yet the Executive couldn’t even put it on their agenda, let alone agree to it. I have also discovered that Winter Fuel Payment spending has decreased by around £2million since 2016.
“With fuel prices continuing to rise, the loss of the Universal Credit Uplift, workers facing real terms pay cuts, and the price of living on the up – the danger that lives will be lost this Christmas is very real.
“I am calling on MLAs to support an emergency meeting of the Assembly to agree a series of emergency actions to alleviate hardship this winter.”
ENDS
