Cuts in income during the COVID-19 pandemic – Are we heading towards more poverty and exclusion?
The 8th edition of the Social Learning Platform brought together Social Platform members to exchange information on and share knowledge of the situation on the ground in their respective constituencies.
Overall, members shared that the majority of their national members are currently focusing on providing emergency responses to meet peoples’ basic needs, such as providing food and shelter as well as social and health services. Members also highlighted that the immediate consequences of the pandemic on different groups, especially those that were already in vulnerable situations, are very much felt, and that millions of people are at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
Members shared deep concern about the availability of funding at the national level, putting into jeopardy the much needed support of organised civil society organisations working on the ground. There was agreement that EU action is much needed to avoid further deepening inequalities and poverty in the European Union and that any future policies and actions need to specifically address the situation of vulnerable groups to avoid that mainstream policies fail to reach them.
