A coalition of more than 20 membership bodies is calling for the government to urgently invest in social infrastructure to “build back better”.
In a submission this week to the government’s upcoming Autumn Spending Review, the group of 21 voluntary sector infrastructure bodies sets out a series of recommendations, which include greater investment in communities through new funds and a call to cancel the cut to Universal Credit.
The group, which includes Acevo, the Charity Finance Group and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, also wants greater action on climate change, the restoration of the UK overseas aid budget and more powers for local authorities and communities.
The group has highlighted three main areas of concern: the role charities can and should play in the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda and investment in local communities and meeting future challenges, including climate change.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s spending review is expected to be unveiled on 27 October.
Richard Sagar, head of policy at the CFG, said: “The wide-ranging recommendations the coalition has set out in our joint submission to the Treasury are potential solutions to a range of problems that the government must urgently tackle, from poverty and disadvantage through to climate change.
“The government rightly recognised the value of public spending during the pandemic and, along with the support of charities and social change organisations, this led the country through the worst of the Covid-19 crisis.
“The government must continue to do all it can to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are not plunged deeper into poverty. We are calling on the government to cancel its planned cut to Universal Credit and to meet its commitments to overseas aid.”
Among the other signatories to the letter are the Association of Charitable Foundations, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, the Directory for Social Change, Navca, Children England, the Small Charities Coalition and the Charity Retail Association.