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