London's recovery starts with you
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618 Londoners have responded | 07/08/2020 - 01/10/2020
Discussions
A robust safety net
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, London suffered from unacceptably high levels of poverty. More than a quarter of Londoners, some 2.5 million people, were living in poverty – higher than any region in the UK. Poverty can have negative impacts throughout a person’s life, including lower life expectancy, poor mental health, and lower educational attainment. Efforts to secure London’s recovery must tackle the pre-existing issues of inequality and poverty as well as the disadvantages highlighted by the COVID-19 crisis. Read more about the context for this mission.
Mission: A robust safety net, a good standard of living and the tools to thrive.
To do this we’ll need to work together, so that:
- The number of Londoners in poverty, destitution or homelessness are minimised and reversed
- Londoners’ disposable incomes are maximised, and housing, energy, travel and food costs reduced
- Londoners able to access a robust safety net and tools to prevent falling into poverty; improved trust and confidence in public services
- There is no return to rough sleeping
Areas of focus might include:
- Increasing Londoners' understanding of rights and entitlements that already exist
- Joint lobbying on national welfare benefits; establishing positive reforms made during the pandemic
- Developing innovative local partnership approaches to tackle this issue
- Making debt, financial and employment advice more accessible
What do you think of this mission? Is there anything critical to London’s recovery missing from this mission? What does this mean for you personally and your community? What actions or interventions would have the most impact? How will we know that we’ve succeeded? Who has a role to play to meet this challenge?
Summary
Thanks everyone for sharing your views and experience in this discussion on a robust safety net. The policy and recovery teams have been thinking about how they can amend these missions to be more specific and time-bound, but still bold, ambitious and realistic.
Part of making these missions more specific involves acknowledging that we can't do everything through the recovery programme. That doesn’t mean that if something isn’t a mission it isn’t important. City Hall and London Councils will continue to work on areas that aren’t missions but are important to recovery.
The recovery team and policy teams have used your feedback to refine this mission to by 2025 at the latest, every Londoner is able to access the support they need to prevent financial hardship.
Here are some proposals for how we might help achieve this mission:
- Work with councils to create a comprehensive local welfare offer in every borough that focusses on preventing hardship
- Develop a single point of access to a range of financial advice (e.g. welfare, debt, housing) and crisis support (e.g. financial support, food) services in London
- Improve access to advice and crisis support services amongst excluded and vulnerable groups by embedding services in community settings, e.g. schools or community food providers
- Establish pan-London and pan-sector strategic funding and delivery partnerships to plug the existing gaps in the provision of crisis support and advice services across London
What other ideas do you have that might help to achieve this mission? And who has a role to play to meet this challenge? What would have the most impact for you?
The discussion ran from 07 August 2020 - 07 November 2020
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Log into your accountAnonymous - account deleted
Community Member 4 years agoI'm sure most of us pay more in Council Tax than we do for all our other utility bills combined. I am angry that we are expected to foot the bill in our council tax for planned increases to police numbers. We had no choice or say in this...
Show full commentI'm sure most of us pay more in Council Tax than we do for all our other utility bills combined. I am angry that we are expected to foot the bill in our council tax for planned increases to police numbers. We had no choice or say in this decision.
We need a basic universal income for everybody - the current situation demands this kind of action but there is always the idea that it somehow has to be earned. Or if not earned then given as some kind of charity hat you have to jump through hoops to qualify for. If this cannot be achieved nationwide then at least we should try to do it in London. If we want to continue as a world leading city then we need to set an example for the rest of the world.
Show less of commentwoolwich10
Community Member 4 years agoAll good. But where is the London Assembly collecting good/bad/indifferent responses to Covid-19. There is plenty to collect,
but without proper evaluation nothing much is likely to change.
Show full commentAll good. But where is the London Assembly collecting good/bad/indifferent responses to Covid-19. There is plenty to collect,
but without proper evaluation nothing much is likely to change.
Show less of commentTaz9883sean
Community Member 4 years agoI think universal credit / pip should be scrapped but if it should be in place a revamp a person's benefit shouldn't be on their partners wages and if someone is disabled they are disabled
Show full commentI think universal credit / pip should be scrapped but if it should be in place a revamp a person's benefit shouldn't be on their partners wages and if someone is disabled they are disabled
Show less of commentpukpuk
Community Member 4 years agoThe PIP is terrible. Scammers know how to play the game and still get benefits but disabled people are left with nothing.
Show full commentThe PIP is terrible. Scammers know how to play the game and still get benefits but disabled people are left with nothing.
Show less of commentcharlesh9
Community Member 4 years agoThe mission sounds like a good one but the way to hell is paved with good intentions and the devil will be in the detail. For example, the areas of focus will depend heavily on London's overall wealth being maintained and continuing to...
Show full commentThe mission sounds like a good one but the way to hell is paved with good intentions and the devil will be in the detail. For example, the areas of focus will depend heavily on London's overall wealth being maintained and continuing to increase. The probability of this is now seriously damaged by the over reaction to COVID-19 with questions of whether the business parts of London will ever go back to what we had before. For example, the smaller businesses heavily dependent on financial services people , accountants, lawyers, etc being in their offices will struggle to survive.
Also, three areas of focus, that should be listed before the ones that are, are agreeing the definition of a Londoner; increasing Londoners' understanding of their duties and obligations; and joint lobbying on bringing back to London the taxes that Londoners pay.
There is also probably something in supporting the businesses of the future, some of which have already collapsed because of the response to COVID-19 (it is not COVID-19 that has damaged our economy).
Show less of commentPhantoms
Community Member 4 years agoI think joint lobbying on All main points mentioned above as unless it's all brought together ie security in housing , education for all ,apprenticeship ,welfare safety net etc It won't fulfil it's purpose
Show full commentI think joint lobbying on All main points mentioned above as unless it's all brought together ie security in housing , education for all ,apprenticeship ,welfare safety net etc It won't fulfil it's purpose
Show less of commentHardlady
Community Member 4 years agoThere are plenty of rough sleepers in London , crime is very worrying, need to do a check on all council tenants to stop all the sub letting, more police needed on the streets and they need powers and support,come down hard first time on...
Show full commentThere are plenty of rough sleepers in London , crime is very worrying, need to do a check on all council tenants to stop all the sub letting, more police needed on the streets and they need powers and support,come down hard first time on those carrying Weapons not prison boot camps , teach them to respect themselves and then others. Parenting classes and stop benefits for those that don't attend.Deal with addictions by placing people in programs for longer periods.Do more stop and searches on rich people using recreational drugs and name and shame them because they are buying the drugs that our young people are supplying.Bring back youth clubs.
Show less of commentHardlady
Community Member 4 years agoAlso how much revenue could be made by fining every person that can wear a mask but doesn't? There must be a way of targeting various stations for a few days to make people take notice
Show full commentAlso how much revenue could be made by fining every person that can wear a mask but doesn't? There must be a way of targeting various stations for a few days to make people take notice
Show less of commentAnonymous - account deleted
Community Member 4 years agoPlease don't make it difficult to visit friends and family. Having elderly parents living in London, it is painful with all the local regulations, speed restrictions, parking constrictions and charges to be able to see them on a regular...
Show full commentPlease don't make it difficult to visit friends and family. Having elderly parents living in London, it is painful with all the local regulations, speed restrictions, parking constrictions and charges to be able to see them on a regular basis when driving from afar. London is being changed into a most unwelcoming place for drivers who care for relatives.
My son is driving to work due to COVID and is trying to protect me; he is trying to avoid public transport as he travels some distance for work into London but the congestion charge is so excessive.
The City will become a ghost town and the small catering, coffee etc. businesses will cease.
Show less of commentI am so sad to see our bustling City being torn apart from all angles.
theid
Community Member 4 years agoI couldn't agree more with everything you say. The latest burden for Londoners is the extension of the ULEZ zone which means that thousands of people with perfectly serviceable cars are expected to "find" the money to replace their...
Show full commentI couldn't agree more with everything you say. The latest burden for Londoners is the extension of the ULEZ zone which means that thousands of people with perfectly serviceable cars are expected to "find" the money to replace their vehicles - and no doubt the goalposts will be moved again in a couple of years. Traffic jams cause more pollution (slow queues and stopping and starting) and yet everything which is done (more cycle lanes, one-way systems, etc.) creates more traffic jams. It's easy to say everyone should walk or cycle everywhere, but I'll bet these suggestions are not made by women, who do most of the daily driving about - school runs, shopping, chauffeuring friends and family without cars, etc. And at 73 I certainly don't want to be waiting at bus stops for unreliable services - which are expensive if you don't have a travel card - and walking long distances to change buses, etc. There are eight million people in the proposed ULEZ extension. Give them a vote instead of relying on a Public Consultation which attracted only 32,000 responses - many from interested parties who were, it seems, the only people to know there WAS a Public Consultation! In these times of austerity, especially, adding to the financial burden by extending ULEZ is cruel and very ill-advised. In addition, I have now read many reports that it will have negligible effect on air pollution, which is mainly contained within the existing ULEZ limits. Non-stop construction causes far more particle pollution than vehicles, but is never mentioned in these discussions - but then it is part of a powerful political lobby so no surprises there.
Show less of commentKingston
Community Member 4 years agoMany professionals who were based in London offices are starting to relocate away from London to save on high rents/ expensive property prices on mortgage, transport costs, childcare and day to day living. People are waking up to the fact...
Show full commentMany professionals who were based in London offices are starting to relocate away from London to save on high rents/ expensive property prices on mortgage, transport costs, childcare and day to day living. People are waking up to the fact that lifestyle is enhanced when working remotely. London could end up sliding in value especially now foreign investors are disappearing.
Show less of commenttheid
Community Member 4 years agoSadly these properties will continue to be built and sold to investors - at the cost of traditional communities of course.
I am more worried about the possible results of companies finding they can function perfectly well using remote...
Show full commentSadly these properties will continue to be built and sold to investors - at the cost of traditional communities of course.
I am more worried about the possible results of companies finding they can function perfectly well using remote workers. Will they start using cheaper foreign labour I wonder? Watch this space...
Show less of commenttypingfrome11
Community Member 4 years agoBan the use of umbrella companies.. agency staff are forced to hand over between 2- 10% of their pay to a third party in order to get paid. the most at risk are those at the lower end of the pay scale on 0-hour contracts. agencies force...
Show full commentBan the use of umbrella companies.. agency staff are forced to hand over between 2- 10% of their pay to a third party in order to get paid. the most at risk are those at the lower end of the pay scale on 0-hour contracts. agencies force workers to sign up those with ESL are being targeted in the construction industry for instance.
social housing tenants and university - in order to level up with my white middle-class colleagues I need a masters. I can only do that master's in London because of my tenancy. Therefore I have to take out a 15k loan (6k out of London) and work part-time as I won't be entitled to any benefits.
For those facing redundancy - £378 a month from universal credit is a scary prospect. credit protection is needed for those who will have to cancel financial contracts like mobile phones, internet etc mid-contract.
credit is king - good credit - good rates - more money to spend.
tackle the overcharging of food and products in smaller branches of Tesco/petrol stations etc
Show less of commentAnonymous - account deleted
Community Member 4 years agoI think what is missing from the mission statement is the responsibilities of the individual, not just the rights and entitlements. All this should be taught in school.
Show full commentI think what is missing from the mission statement is the responsibilities of the individual, not just the rights and entitlements. All this should be taught in school.
Show less of commentAl-gorithm
Community Member 4 years agoI find the whole structure of this Talk London initiative incredibly depressing:
1. If you want a proper deliberative process then set one up and don't pretend a haphazard gathering of opinions fed in to a Board of the great and the good...
Show full commentI find the whole structure of this Talk London initiative incredibly depressing:
1. If you want a proper deliberative process then set one up and don't pretend a haphazard gathering of opinions fed in to a Board of the great and the good is going to achieve anything. This is a very poor way of seeking engagement.
2. Alternatively have a process that is led via existing grassroots governance so that people can see local government in action taking a lead within its own communities. Explaining to communities how things get done and paid for locally, and making local governance more visible/engaging, would be a good outcome of the pandemic anyway.
3. This mission statement is a really good example of a badly framed mission. It ranges from the meaningless and wildly broad (see for example references to minimise and maximise which may just be there because the drafting was left to the numerically/statistically illiterate) to a concrete reference to rough sleepers which is probably a topic worthy of top billing on its own and directly connects to whole range of other topics like access to benefits, housing and health care.
Show less of commentpriyasol
Community Member 4 years agoHigher minimum wage; starting to feel frustrated having to choose between paying my rent or eating a decent meal.
Show full commentHigher minimum wage; starting to feel frustrated having to choose between paying my rent or eating a decent meal.
Show less of commentLedietoscano
Community Member 4 years agoAbolish Ground Rent and regulate management companies!
its insane that you buy property and then you are charged ground rent that can go up year on year!
And leaseholders are at the mercy of Management Companies that are making huge...
Show full commentAbolish Ground Rent and regulate management companies!
its insane that you buy property and then you are charged ground rent that can go up year on year!
And leaseholders are at the mercy of Management Companies that are making huge profits at the cost of the leaseholder. These are the reasons people lose their homes!
something must really be done about this problem. When you buy a property you should be given the right to buy the freehold
Show less of commentNie
Community Member 4 years agoFocus on education and add to the school curriculum principles of good household budget management to avoid debts and possibly homelessness.
COVID-19 has shown that lost of support groups emerged. Why not help fund these to benefit...
Show full commentFocus on education and add to the school curriculum principles of good household budget management to avoid debts and possibly homelessness.
COVID-19 has shown that lost of support groups emerged. Why not help fund these to benefit from the existing network and create jobs in turn?
Show less of commentGraham J Powell
Community Member 4 years agoIn 2020 there is no excuse at all for "rough sleeping" and the lockdown has proved that London can make a difference with a focus on support to this specific group.
Delegate more central government powers to local authorities so that those...
Show full commentIn 2020 there is no excuse at all for "rough sleeping" and the lockdown has proved that London can make a difference with a focus on support to this specific group.
Delegate more central government powers to local authorities so that those nearest to the constituents in local areas know what is required and are best placed to provide services.
The Government is now waking up to the use of "track and test" locally (at last) so this principle can be applied across the board.
Show less of commentAlcuino
Community Member 4 years agoAn universal income is the need of the day.
It would not only go a long way in removing people of the street, it would also serve as a safety net to the new ones who may fall on the street.
In addition to that, it would also be an support...
Show full commentAn universal income is the need of the day.
It would not only go a long way in removing people of the street, it would also serve as a safety net to the new ones who may fall on the street.
In addition to that, it would also be an support to invest in themselves by further certification / studies in their respective fields which would be a huge return by contributing positively to the growth of the economy.
Of course, this is not full proof, as with any best of the ideas, as there will always be some minor group people who would want to profit from this, but this minority will be ever reduced cause of the positive impact when implemented nationaly.
It is high time the current economic model which assumes that people are selfish by nature is corrected to people intrinsically give multiple returns when helped.
The past few decades of automation and the expontentional growth of it should fund the universal income.
Show less of commentAnna2007
Community Member 4 years agoI think that we should accept that it will take a long time for London to recover from COVID-19. We can help people to feel and be engaged with other people by having a National Volunteer Service which would be run by an outside...
Show full commentI think that we should accept that it will take a long time for London to recover from COVID-19. We can help people to feel and be engaged with other people by having a National Volunteer Service which would be run by an outside organisation rather then councils. I tried to volunteer as an NHS responder but it took a long time and I was frustrated by how long it took. They were inundated with requests for people to help. Also it was difficult for me who has underlying health conditions but NOT on the vulnerable list to get an appointment for me to see my doctor.
Show less of commentTheBoyz-London
Community Member 4 years agoUnfortunately there are those who will not involve themselves with this. I asked a beggar one day if there was any help he could get to get him off the streets. His reply? Why should I when I can get around £300 a week tax free? Why would I...
Show full commentUnfortunately there are those who will not involve themselves with this. I asked a beggar one day if there was any help he could get to get him off the streets. His reply? Why should I when I can get around £300 a week tax free? Why would I want a roof and a job when I would have to pay out for it in taxes and utilities etc. AND on top of the begging money I get welfare.
And people say they're hard done by? Huh! Wake up people
Show less of commentEveloves
Community Member 4 years agoI believe there should be a mentoring system to help guide those in need, whether it be financial, mental health, physical health and/or general welfare, to encourage those who are struggling to find work, to do CPD or courses that will...
Show full commentI believe there should be a mentoring system to help guide those in need, whether it be financial, mental health, physical health and/or general welfare, to encourage those who are struggling to find work, to do CPD or courses that will improve their career prospects and make them most likely to be employed. Practice runs for job interviews and tips to dress to impress. There is a lot of focus on the younger generation but tend to neglect the community who were born in the 80s and didn't have career days to even know what to professionalize in. Such a program will be empowering for many if done right and give them self worth.
Show less of commentBerengaria
Community Member 4 years agoThe Government's power-grab including the latest plan regarding building is very worrying. surely we should make sure that where there is planning permission but no building has taken place, there needs to be action. London is full of...
Show full commentThe Government's power-grab including the latest plan regarding building is very worrying. surely we should make sure that where there is planning permission but no building has taken place, there needs to be action. London is full of expensive property owned by the rich (often from overseas) and left empty. There is insufficient social housing and some of what there is doesn't meet safety requirements.
Care for the environment is vital. Cut the pollution!
Show less of comment