On 21 September 2022, over 50 faith, charity and organisational leaders signed an open letter to the Prime Minister, calling for direct support for the poorest households in response to rising living costs:
As faith groups, charities, trade unions and front-line organisations we have seen the cost of living emergency escalating not only in the statistics but in the lives of people we meet day to day, in foodbanks, debt centres and in our places of worship. The least well off in our communities are facing the sharpest end of this crisis, and without substantial support will be dragged into destitution.
It is the urgent, moral responsibility of the Prime Minister to ensure that people on the lowest incomes have enough to live in the months ahead. Spiralling costs are affecting everyone, but for those who were already fighting to keep their heads above water this winter’s challenges will be a matter of life and death.
The Energy Price Guarantee announced on 8th September, whilst welcome, hasn’t gone far enough. Analysis published today by Prof Donald Hirsch indicates that the average family of four receiving Universal Credit will still need an additional £1,391 over the next six months to stay warm and fed. Low income households need targeted financial support which takes into account family size and need, is distributed quickly and in amounts large enough to enable families to live decently this winter and beyond.
Increases in poverty and destitution because of this crisis are not inevitable, if government, business and civil society recognise that this is an emergency and act now. We believe that concerted action can turn the tide on poverty, see us through this winter and put us on the path to a poverty free Britain. The government has the tools to deliver this at their disposal, and they must use them now.
Signed by:
Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steed, Chair, Tzelem: The Rabbinic and Cantorial Call for Social and Economic Justice in the UK
Rabbi Charley Baginsky, Chief Executive Officer, Liberal Judaism
Revd Fiona Bennett, Moderator of General Assembly, United Reformed Church
Rabbi Rebecca Birk, Co-Chair, Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors
Anna Bland, Team Leader, Leeds Sanctuary
Anthony Boateng, Vice-President of the Conference, The Methodist Church in Britain
Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Rabbi Janet Burden, Rabbi Emerita, Ealing Liberal Synagogue
Heidi Chow, Executive Director, Debt Justice
Niall Cooper, Director, Church Action on Poverty
Kevin Courtney and Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretaries, National Education Union
Sister Colette Cronin, Leader, Institute of Our Lady of Mercy
Colin Date, Acting Chair, Christian Concern for One World
Sister Lynda Dearlove rsm, CEO, women@thewell
Claire Donovan, Head of Research, Policy & Campaigns, End Furniture Poverty
Bishop Terry Drainey, Chair and Bishop, Catholic Social Action Network & R.C. Diocese of Middlesbrough
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group
Ben Gilchrist, Chief Executive, Caritas Shrewsbury
Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Senior Rabbi, The Ark Synagogue
Rev James Green, Executive Director, Together Liverpool
Revd. Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain
Mia Hasenson-Gross, Director, René Cassin
Revd Ruth Harvey, Leader, The Iona Community
Joseph Howes, CEO, Buttle UK
Imran Hussain, Director of Policy & Campaigns, Action for Children
Rabbi Richard Jacobi, Minister to the congregation, East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue
Rabbi Neil Janes, Rabbi, South Bucks Jewish Community (constituent of Liberal Judaism)
The Most Reverend Andrew John, Archbishop of Wales, The Church in Wales
Rabbi Gabriel Kanter-Webber, Minister, Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue
Mr. Rajnish Kashyap MCICM, General Secretary, Hindu Council UK
Peter Kelly, Director, Poverty Alliance
Paul Kissack, Chief Executive, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Rabbi Monique Mayer, Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation
Gareth McNab, Head of External Affairs, Christians Against Poverty
Paul McNamee, Editor, The Big Issue
Rabbi Lea Mühlstein, Senior Rabbi, The Ark Synagogue
Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General, Muslim Council of Britain
Patrick O’Dowd, Director, Caritas Diocese of Salford
Helen O’Shea, National President of St Vincent de Paul Society
Emma Revie, CEO, The Trussell Trust
Father Dominic Robinson SJ, Chair, Archdiocese of Westminster Justice and Peace
Revd Paul Rochester, General Secretary, Free Churches Group
Revd. Ian Rutherford, Chair, Greater Manchester Food Security Action Network and City Centre Minister, Methodist Central Hall Manchester.
Adam Scorer, Chief Executive, National Energy Action
Mr Paul Southgate, Chair of Trustees, The National Justice and Peace Network
Most Reverend Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, and Primus, Scottish Episcopal Church
Anna Taylor, Executive Director, The Food Foundation
The Revd. Graham Thompson, President of the Methodist Conference, The Methodist Church of Britain
The Reverend James Tout, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Wales, The Church in Wales
Fr Adrian Tuckwell, Caritas Hexham and Newcastle
Jo Wittams, Co-Executive Director, The Equality Trust
Enough to get through the winter: New analysis by Prof Donald Hirsch
New analysis (21 September 2022) by Prof Donald Hirsch updates his earlier report (7 August) to calculate the gap between rising living costs and the support provided by government to low-income households in England.
It calculates that a family of four receiving Universal Credit will still be £1391 behind what they need to stay warm and fed, despite government support.
About the Author

Professor Donald Hirsch is a poverty expert at Loughborough University. He was Poverty Advisor to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for ten years, before joining the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University in 2008. He played a key role in establishing a Minimum Income Standard for the UK, and in the establishment of the accredited Living Wage. Between 2012 – 2022 he served as Director of the Centre for Research in Social Policy. He has produced key reports on child poverty and the living wage.
Is cost of living support enough? Launched 7 August.
As living costs skyrocket, millions of families in the UK are struggling to make ends meet. This report (launched 7 August 2022) by Professor Donald Hirsch, Loughborough University, reveals the gap between the support the government is currently offering to households and the anticipated rise in living costs. It concludes that millions of families are at risk of going without, because the support they’ve been given simply doesn’t stretch far enough.
Endorsed by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and over 55 faith groups, charities and political leaders, the report calls on the government to take urgent action to bridge the cost of living gap faced by the lowest income families in our communities.
Introduction

Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister from 2007-2010
We are facing a humanitarian crisis that Britain hasn’t seen in decades. As living costs continue to skyrocket, families on the brink of making ends meet cannot bridge the gap. Despite the additional support from government, millions of people are at risk of being pushed deeper into poverty by forces outside of their control.
It is the urgent task of the next Prime Minister to ensure that families have enough to live, through this crisis and beyond. I am grateful that this paper outlines the gap the government must urgently fill before the next wave of rising costs overwhelms people. Together with faith groups and charities working on the front-lines to offer urgent support, we have listened to the people who are at risk of falling through the gaps if action isn’t taken. We have heard from the families we’ve met and those highlighted in the report that the flat-rate payments offered by the government won’t stretch far enough for families who each have different needs and circumstances. These must be the people the next Prime Ministers prioritises as we look for solutions.
Alongside the organisations, charities and faith groups who have endorsed this paper, I call on the government to take immediate action to bridge the shortfall and ensure families have enough to live.
We, the undersigned, ask the Government to consider appropriate measures to bridge the shortfall in family finances documented in this paper.
Rabbi Charley Baginsky, CEO, Liberal Judaism
Revd Fiona Bennett, Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church
Lord John Bird, Founder, The Big Issue
Anthony Boateng, Vice-President, The Methodist Church in Britain
Paul Bodenham, Programme Leader for Social Action, Caritas Diocese of Nottingham
Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries, National Education Union
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Nicola Brady, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, Chair of ChurchWorks Commission on Covid Recovery
Heidi Chow, Executive Director, Debt Justice
John Coleby, CEO, Caritas Westminster
Niall Cooper, Director, Church Action on Poverty
Revd R Creswell, Chair, The Methodist Fund for Human Need
Archbishop Leo William Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
Colin Date, Acting Chair, Christian Concern for One World
Claire Donovan, Campaigns Manager, End Furniture Poverty
Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister of Wales
Jamie Driscoll, Mayor of North Tyne Combined Authority
Andy Elvin, Chief Executive, TACT Fostering
Revd Archie Ford, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
Raymond Friel, CEO, Caritas Social Action Network
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group
Ben Gilchrist, CEO, Caritas Shrewsbury
Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain
Revd James Green, Executive Director, Together Liverpool
Ruth Harvey, Leader, The Iona Community
Mia Hasenson-Gross, Director, René Cassin
Rev Karen Hendry, Acting Convenor, Faith Impact Forum, Church of Scotland
Joseph Howes, Chair, End Child Poverty Coalition and CEO of Buttle UK
Imran Hussain, Director of Policy and Campaigns, Action for Children
Revd/Parchg Beti-Wyn James, President Union of Welsh Independents/Llywydd Undeb yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg
Archbishop Andrew John, Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, Church in Wales
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Rajnish Kashyap, General Secretary, Hindu Council UK
Peter Kelly, Director, Poverty Alliance
Paul Kissack, Chief Executive, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Red Dr Ellen Loudon, Chair Together Liverpool
Peter Lynas, UK Director, Evangelical Alliance
Paul McNamee, Editor, The Big Issue
Jon Miles, Senior Development Worker, Transforming Communities Together
Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General, Muslim Council of Britain
Dan Norris, Mayor of the West of England
Elizabeth Palmer, CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society (England & Wales)
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol
Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, Chair, Justice & Peace Commission, Diocese of Westminster
Revd Paul Rochester, General Secretary, Free Churches Group
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region
Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary, Churches Together in England
Rev Ian Rutherford, Chairperson, Greater Manchester Food Security Action Network
Adam Scorer, Chief Executive, National Energy Action
Paul Southgate, Chair, National Justice and Peace Network
Most Revd Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Paula Stringer, UK Chief Executive, Christians Against Poverty
Anna Taylor, Executive Director, Food Foundation
Revd Graham Thompson, President, Methodist Church in Britain
Anna Turley, Chair, North East Child Poverty Commission
Matthew Van Duyvenbode, CSO , Trussell Trust
Natalie Williams, Chief Executive, Jubilee+
Jo Wittams, Interim Executive Director, The Equality Trust
Watch the launch event with JPIT and Christians Against Poverty
For more information about this report, email enquiries@jointpublicissues.org.uk.