Dear Editor,

It has been frustrating to read the recent contributions from your readers identifying the failures of the Universal Credit system to provide adequate support to those in need.

The current Conservative government’s continuing yearly austerity cuts to funding for local public services has devastated support in many areas for the people of Ross.

It does not make sense to cut welfare payments to the extent that people have to go to the community larder in Ross to feed themselves and their families. It is unfortunate that the CAB service in Ross is now limited to one day a fortnight, bringing more delays to those in Ross in need of help with their benefit claims.

Other examples of services being ‘suspended’ or taken over by charities due to Tory ‘austerity’ policy follow. As reported in the local press, the local hospitals Minor Injuries Units are to be closed during December in Leominster and Ross so that their staff can transfer to support the emergency services in Hereford. Surely, this does not make sense as pressure will divert to local GP practices already under considerable pressure as identified by Dr Simon Lennane in his letter last week.

I applaud the efforts of staff at the Day Centre for Adults with Learning Difficulties at the closed Ryefield Centre, to set up the new Horizon Day Centre to replace it - as reported on the front page of the Ross Gazette last week. Grants and crowdfunding.com may provide enough to offer education and careers development in the short term. Just another example of local public services run on a shoestring, affecting the lives of many, and failing to provide the secure, consistent, quality health and social care provision we expect for our community.

It doesn’t make sense. Public services should be publicly funded, and publicly owned. Charities are not the answer to meeting the mainstream needs of our community, unless we want to return to the 19th Century - there are alternatives to austerity. Come on Jesse, be a rebel, vote against austerity, you know it makes sense.

Janice Hurne

Ross-on-Wye