News
River City Star Joins Benefits Campaign
River City star Stephen Purdon today backed The Richmond Fellowship Scotland’s giveme5 campaign to change government legislation which discriminates against those people on incapacity benefits who want to work.
Giveme5 is campaigning to give people on incapacity benefits more time to work by raising their weekly earnings limit from £20 to £25, and ensuring that this revised amount increases each year in line with inflation. Most benefits and allowances have increased with inflation; this figure has restrictively stayed the same for more than five years and increases in the National Minimum Wage mean that the amount of hours people can work is being eroded.
The £20 limit, known as the Permitted Earnings Disregard, is an important stepping stone back to work for many people giving them a better chance of returning to the labour market, learning new skills and improving their physical and mental wellbeing.
Stephen, who plays the character Shellsuit Bob, joined FOCUS Regional Coordinators in Glasgow. Commenting on the campaign, Stephen said:
"I’m supporting the giveme5 campaign because when I first heard about it I couldn’t believe something as simple as adding £5 to the weekly earnings of someone on incapacity benefits could make such a difference to their life. I would urge as many people as possible to sign the petition.”
Following the successful launch of the campaign at the Scottish Parliament in November, more than 2,500 people have now signed the giveme5 petition. The campaign aims to attract another 2,500 signatories before the petition is presented at the Westminster Parliament.
The Richmond Fellowship Scotland is encouraging people to sign the online petition at www.trfs.org.uk/giveme5 in support of the campaign and find five other signatories to join them.