National Voices attacks "mini-budget for ill health"

30/11/2011

Health charity coalition National Voices today criticised the government’s  Autumn Statement for its likely impact on health. The decisions to squeeze public sector pay and tax credits will hit poorest households the hardest and be likely to increase poverty.

Poverty is associated with a higher risk of physical and mental ill health and early death.

National Voices highlights the government’s inconsistent approach to health.  On the one hand, the NHS budget has been ring-fenced and the Health and Social Care Bill would impose a new duty on the Secretary of State to reduce health inequalities. On the other hand, policies on macroeconomic management and welfare do not appear to be influenced by health considerations.  Members of the National Voices' coalition have previously criticised the impact of benefit changes on people with disabilities, and the slowness of the Government to push ahead with reforms to social care funding.

National Voices Chief Executive Jeremy Taylor said “Days after Andrew Lansley helped launch the new Institute of Health Equity, George Osborne announces measures which will further entrench health inequalities.  This is a mini budget for ill health.  It is time for the Government to adopt a much more joined up health policy”.

The distributional impact on households published by the Treasury yesterday (click here) shows that the poorest households lose the most as a proportion of their income, because of the government’s cumulative changes to tax and benefits.  This does not take account of the squeeze on incomes as a result of public sector pay falling behind inflation.

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