Gordon Brown Highlights UK's Deepening Poverty Crisis

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls for urgent government action to address the escalating poverty and destitution levels in the UK, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive review of the universal credit system.

• Gordon Brown criticizes the UK government for its silence on the 'obscene' levels of poverty and destitution, comparing the situation to the Post Office scandal in terms of ministerial neglect.
• The welfare state, once a safety net for the poorest, has been 'systematically shredded,' leaving millions, including working families, trapped below the safety net.
• Brown urges businesses to donate hygiene goods and calls for the extension of the government's household support fund to provide emergency aid to struggling families.
• Research suggests almost four million people in the UK are living below the safety net, with children being particularly affected by the cuts to benefits and lack of basic necessities.
• Brown proposes the creation of a UK-wide network of 'multibanks' to distribute essential goods to families in need, as part of an emergency service to address the poverty crisis.

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