Green Assembly Member Darren Johnson accuses the Mayor of “looking the other way while hundreds of children are moved away, their parents separated from local support networks and possibly made to lose their job”.
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Children are being forced to leave their London schools as parents can no longer afford to stay,
photograph courtesy of Chris Lordan.
Figures obtained by Darren Johnson AM show that the number of families with school age children being housed by boroughs outside of London has risen from 21 in 2010/11 to 222 in the first three quarters of 2013/14. The Mayor of London pledged to protect families with children from benefit changes, but the figures show rising numbers being forced to leave London, and 2,687 other families with children moving to another London borough in the same period, compared to 1,428 in 2010/11.
Darren commented, “These figures show that the Mayor isn’t keeping his promise to families with children. He is looking the other way while hundreds of children are moved away from their local schools, their parents separated from local support networks and possibly made to lose their job. It shouldn’t take freedom of information requests to put the spotlight on the suffering that is happening under his nose.
“Instead of supporting cuts to benefits for the low paid, disabled and jobseekers, the Mayor should be driving down rents by regulating the private rented sector and building more social housing. That would reduce the benefit bill and make London more affordable for everyone.”