Turn2us responds to latest unemployment statistics

Sara Willcocks, Head of Communications at national poverty charity Turn2us, said:

"It is now clear that we are heading for an intense period of high unemployment. Without intervention this will lead to mass personal debt, rising homelessness and increasing numbers of families going hungry.

"Whether you are losing your job on a London high-street, or in a tourist town like Blackpool, it is vital that you are not left to sink into poverty.

"The government introduced the furlough scheme to help millions of people keep their jobs at the height of the pandemic; they must now double down to protect people through the second phase of this crisis. We urge the DWP to increase social security spending, eliminate the five week wait for Universal Credit and ensure that benefit conditionality is flexible to claimant’s needs and opportunities in their area.”