Bad news buried under Brexit was not caused by the EU

Not problems caused by the EU

Interesting story in the Guardian today telling us about five bad news stories buried by the Brexit fallout. The five that they list are:

1. Austerity policies breach the UK’s human rights obligations

As the dust from the Brexit vote was still settling, the United Nations announced that the Conservatives’ austerity policies breach international human rights obligations. The findings of the eight-month investigation are little short of a public shaming for austerity’s architects. Since the cuts were introduced in 2010 they have had “a disproportionate adverse impact” on the most marginalised and disadvantaged: children, disabled people, and low-income families.

2. Child poverty has spiked

The number of children living in poverty has jumped by 200,000 in a year, according to the latest official data. Buried under Brexit headlines, this is the first increase in child poverty (when housing costs are included) since 2011-12.

3. Delayed state pension for hundreds of thousands of women

You would be forgiven for not noticing that last week, the campaign group Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) held a national demonstration outside parliament. Called “the £30bn cut you’ve never heard of”, an estimated half a million women are having their state pension delayed – and without proper notice.

4. Children with mental health problems are being denied treatment

Up to four in five children with mental health problems are being denied access to the treatment they urgently need in some parts of England, according to new NHS figures. Despite high-profile pledges by the government, some of this country’s most vulnerable children are being “bounced” off the NHS: sent to a school counsellor or charity-run service to fill in the gaps.

5. The DWP is delaying the release of benefit death reports (again)