London charity: Virus layoffs force families into poverty

Here is a summary of “London charity: Virus layoffs force families into poverty”, a transcript of a news clip reported by Laurence Lee for Al Jazeera. The news clip was published on YouTube in April 2020. 

The text begins with Lee talking about the charities where struggling new parents could go and find assistance before the Coronavirus pandemic. He interviews Sophia Parker, the chief executive of Little Village charity, who talks about the flaws of the system. These flaws as well as the pandemic make it even harder for parents to provide for their children. 

Lee then focuses on the financial consequences of the pandemic. He claims that people of all social backgrounds have applied for government benefits, and that the number will most likely increase. 

Afterwards, Lee interviews a woman named Vicky Jones, who talks about the difficulty of supporting herself and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter with government benefits. She talks about the struggle of paying rent and utilities while looking for ways of keeping her daughter busy and entertained during the pandemic. 

Lee then talks about the flaws of the Universal Credit government program, which forces people to choose between essential things to pay for. Charlotte McDonough, a representative of the Save the Children organization, talks about the urgency of helping people at risk. She claims that struggling adults need more financial help, as they find it hard to survive while also assuring their children’s well-being and learning at home during the pandemic. 

The text ends with Lee talking about the changes that charities like Little Village have made in order to still help those in need while adapting to the pandemic. While representatives of the charity now deliver goods to struggling people, they find themselves overwhelmed with an increasing demand from those who need help. Lee ends on a somber note, comparing the generations born after the banking collapse with the generations born during the Coronavirus pandemic. He claims that the generations born during the pandemic will experience poverty and hardship for many years to come.