Child poverty in Spain: groups demand family payments

Families in Spain need an urgent payment to help fight child poverty, campaigners say. At a meeting in Madrid on 16 October, the European Anti-Poverty Network in Spain (EAPN-ES) called for the payment alongside decent work and access to housing. The meeting came ahead of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Saturday, 17 October.

The network’s president, Carlos Susías, said the payment should also help tackle poverty among women. He called for adequate financial support for people on low incomes.

On housing, the groups want help for people who need it now, rather than waiting for new homes to be built. They also want a permanent supply of public, social and affordable homes. People who have experienced poverty should have a say in policies that affect them, they said.

Social Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy said, according to the network, that higher minimum wages, stronger workers’ rights, increased pensions and social protection had helped reduce poverty — but had not done enough. The groups are now urging political parties to agree a national pact against poverty, backed by sustained investment that lasts beyond elections.

Topics: Housing · Social affairs

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com