THE chief executive of a housing association which manages properties in Keighley and Bradford is calling on the Chancellor not to “abandon” low-wage workers.
Lee Bloomfield was speaking after the announcement by Rishi Sunak that employees would have to work at least one third of their normal hours to benefit from the Government’s new job support scheme.
“There are estimated to be up to three million workers currently on furlough – including a significant number in Bradford and Keighley where we have around 6,000 tenants,” said Mr Bloomfield.
“In the wake of Mr Sunak’s statement, there is a real fear that many furloughed employees will no longer have a job to return to.
“The furlough scheme, welcome as it has been, still resulted in a significant reduction in income for families which were already struggling in a low-wage economy. The Chancellor had nothing to say about how the Government plans to support workers who now appear to be at grave risk of redundancy.”
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