Guardian’s national coverage of FRN members being swamped by people wanting cookers, fridges and furniture amid welfare cuts

The Furniture Re-use Network (FRN) have gained national coverage for the sector in the Guardian newspaper and website. The story covers the reuse sector’s concern and position relating to the impact on support for low income households due to the abolition by the Government of the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme.

The story on the Guardian’s website can be found here: www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/21/secondhand-furniture-charities-struggling-welfare-cuts

The FRN and its membership – which were recently hailed by Ministers as a lifeline – have reported an increase of up to 100% in the demand for charity goods and warned of rising desperation among poorer families amid cuts to welfare entitlements and council budgets.

FRN have urged the Government to rethink its controversial decision to cut hundreds of millions of pounds of local welfare assistance funding from 2015, saying it would hit the poorest the hardest and force low income families to turn to loan sharks and payday lenders.

FRN have an e-petition calling for a Government rethink on the abolition of the support for those in crisis, which you can sign up to here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/63001