Neath Families Facing up to £1000 Cuts Catastrophe says Hain
Almost £1000 a year has been taken away from the hardest hit families and communities across Neath as a result of changes to the benefit system it has been revealed.
A report from Sheffield Hallam University has investigated the effects of welfare reforms on South Wales, concluding that the original forecasts severely underestimated the financial losses to the Valleys.
Throughout the Neath constituency residents have lost £640 per annum on average because of cuts to the welfare system with residents in Neath town centre hardest hit, losing £833 per annum.
The full devastation of welfare changes throughout South Wales is said to be as much as £430 million a year.
Peter Hain MP said: “We warned everyone this would happen because of the callous indifference to disabled and vulnerable people by the Tory-Lib Dem government who couldn’t care a damn for our Valleys and towns. It is just pain and misery for our communities all over again.
‘These cuts to the welfare budget are pushing people into real poverty, it is no coincidence that in the hardest hit areas in the constituency – Neath town centre and Ystalyfera – there are Foodbanks to help those struggling to make ends meet or pay the bills.”
See full table of averages below
Neath Loss per working age adult
Aberdulais 650
Allt-wen 550
Blaengwrach 720
Bryn-coch North 410
Bryn-coch South 560
Cadoxton 440
Cimla 490
Crynant 550
Cwmllynfell 590
Dyffryn 640
Glynneath 670
Godre’r graig 680
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen 760
Lower Brynamman 690
Neath East 930
Neath North 810
Neath South 760
Onllwyn 750
Pelenna 640
Pontardawe 700
Resolven 640
Rhos 480
Seven Sisters 690
Tonna 480
Trebanos 580
Ystalyfera 800
Figures from Sheffield Hallam
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