Taxpayer-funded cars removed from 11,000 benefits claimants
The Motability scheme, which provides cars to disabled people in exchange for disability benefits, has removed over 11,000 vehicles since 2022 due to misuse. Cases of abuse, including sub-leasing cars, running taxis, or food deliveries, have risen from seven to 15 per day. Motability Operations attributes this rise to an increase in eligible customers, from 650,000 in 2022 to 815,000 in 2023. Disability rights groups defend the scheme, calling it life-changing for many. However, critics argue the system is exploited by friends or family of claimants. Motability Operations is reviewing the number of drivers per vehicle and increasing tracking to counter misuse. Some accuse claimants of freeloading, but recipients highlight rigorous eligibility criteria and the necessity of these vehicles. Experts emphasise the scheme's value, with fraud in the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system reportedly at zero.
Foreign aid cuts ‘will leave an extra 369,000 children to starve’
Cuts to foreign aid by Western governments could result in 369,000 additional child deaths from severe malnutrition annually, according to a study in Nature. The reduction in overseas development budgets by the UK, USA, and other major donors is expected to create an 'unprecedented crisis.' Britain's aid budget will drop by 40% (approximately £6 billion) by 2027 to prioritise defence spending, prompting the resignation of development minister Anneliese Dodds. The USA has dissolved USAID, which previously managed much of its $60 billion foreign aid. Other nations, including France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, have also cut foreign aid, by 37%, 30%, and 25% respectively. Emergency nutrition spending could fall by half ($290 million annually), leaving 2.3 million children without critical treatment for severe malnutrition. In Nigeria, USAid's withdrawal halted nutrition services for 5.6 million children. In Sudan, nearly 80% of emergency food kitchens have closed.
Faith leaders unite against 'unjust' child poverty
Senior faith leaders from the UK’s six major religions have united to urge the Government to adopt a bold child poverty strategy. In an open letter to Bridget Philipson and Liz Kendall, 35 faith leaders, including former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow, called for transformative action. With 4.3 million children currently living in poverty and projections indicating another 400,000 could be affected by the end of the decade, they said that poverty reduction is a moral imperative for a compassionate society. The letter expressed hope that the forthcoming strategy could mark a turning point, encouraging partnerships across society to ensure every child has a fair start in life. It references the 'Paying the Price' report by Action for Children, advocating reforms in social security and housing to lift 1.2 million children out of poverty by 2030. Some saw scrapping the two-child benefit cap as a crucial step in this process.
Ukraine: Russia bombs hospital as naval ceasefire is negotiated
Russia and Ukraine have reached separate agreements with the USA on a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, following peace talks in Saudi Arabia. Though indirect, the negotiations resulted in a promise to halt attacks on energy infrastructure and reopen critical trade routes. Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move but said it was too early to gauge its effectiveness. The Kremlin, however, tied the ceasefire to the lifting of sanctions on its food and fertiliser sectors, demanding restored access to financial systems and agricultural trade tools. The USA acknowledged it would support restoring Russia’s global market access in these areas, prompting Zelensky to criticise the move as a concession. Ukraine warned that any expansion of Russian naval activity beyond agreed zones would violate the ceasefire and justify defensive action. It is also calling for increased US support and sanctions if Russia fails to honour its commitments. Even as the negotiators were meeting, a Russian missile hit a hospital, injuring dozens: see Breaking news: France and the UK are at the forefront of a united European message of support for Ukraine: see
