PSYCHOLOGISTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
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Blog

PSC response to UN report on extreme poverty and human rights

17/11/2018

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The continued attack on the welfare state under this government is being held up to international scrutiny and demands a response from psychologists
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PSC welcome the report by Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, on his visit to the United Kingdom. Although issues of causality are complex, there is significant evidence on the relationship between poverty, inequality and mental health difficulties. This report highlights the suffering that has been inflicted through the callous approach to austerity taken by the government since 2009.

It also recognises and gives voice to the impact that Universal Credit is having on people’s mental health, finances and work prospects. The continued attack on the welfare state under this government is being held up to international scrutiny and demands a response from psychologists.

Many professions have been drawn into pushing the austerity agenda, including psychologists. It is important to recognise ours' and others' roles, including psychology’s continuing contribution to exploitation and oppression in the form of ‘enhanced interrogation’ and workfare.

However, this report gives a firm foundation to organise around. In particular:

1) Austerity is not over and we still need to highlight it's pernicious effects

2) Universal Credit should be scrapped and we need to work with activists towards this goal

3) The continued cuts to local authorities are eroding a sense of community.
​
Psychologists and others in positions of power working, purportedly, alongside those with less power, need to reach out to other professionals and activists and continue to work towards a just future that fulfils our commitments to truly promoting mental health and well-being.
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    PSC is a network of people interested in applying psychology to generate social and political action. You don't have to be a member of PSC to contribute to the blog

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Copyright © 2015
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Position statements
    • Letter to Jeremy Hunt
    • UK Government Green Paper, Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision
    • Esther McVey: PSC and RITB response
    • Origins of Happiness? PSC response
  • Campaigns
    • New Savoy Conference Statement
    • Psychologists Against Austerity >
      • Austerity Briefing Paper
      • Everyday Austerity
    • Private Health Watch
    • East Anglia
    • Formulating Policy >
      • Basic Income: Psychological Impact Assessment
    • General Election 2017 >
      • NHS Roadshow
      • General Election Week of Action 2017
      • Get Britain Voting!
      • Improving Public Discussion About... Brexit
      • Austerity: 2017 edition
  • Groups
    • Start a New Group
    • Educational Psychology
    • Leicester
    • London
    • Oxford
    • Midlands
    • North East
    • Northern Ireland
    • North Wales
    • North West
    • South Wales >
      • Responding to Austerity and Mental Health in Wales - Accessible Document
      • We Support the Mind over matter Report Recommendations for better Children and Young People’s Wellbeing and Mental Health
      • Social and Political Causes of Poor Mental Health
      • Letter to Welsh Government re UN report on Extreme Poverty in the UK
    • South West
    • Suffolk
    • Sussex
    • Yorks and Humber
  • Events and Actions
  • Media Archive
  • Join our mailing list
  • Suffolk