KATE OSBORNE: The callous incompetence of this government means an election can't come soon enough

This is a political choice - it is a disgrace that so many children are going hungry, but we don’t always focus on our elderly enough.

It is also a political choice to leave thousands of pensioners hungry and living in cold homes – pensioners are being let down by this Government.

We are hearing this week from the Covid inquiry that spikes in Covid were covered up, Sunak’s eat-out-to-help-out scheme led to huge spikes and more deaths, care homes were thrown to the wolves - elderly people's lives lost because of this Government's callous incompetence.

Thanks to this Government's attacks on the welfare state, more than two million UK pensioners are living below the poverty line, with many more hovering precariously above it.

My office has recently been able to help people get Pension Credit that they were owed - Pension Credit is a vital lifeline for many low-income pensioners.

Sadly, it continues to be widely unclaimed and almost a million pensioners are missing out - the deadline for claiming Pension Credit is 10th December - so do urge pensioners you know to ensure they have claimed.

My office has had some big wins for constituents recently with refunds from airlines, charges waived from the Tyne Tunnel, help resolving pension issues, Pension Credit delays resolved, £7,000 Carers Allowance backdated, £2,500 backdated payment of Universal Credit, £2,500 care charges waived and £1,400 backdated PIP repaid to name just a few.

This month I had a record 480 new enquiries into my parliamentary office - mostly on housing - please do get in touch with me at [email protected] or contact my office on (0191) 4661509 if you have any issues you would like help with.

I will continue raising issues for women over 50 who are suffering a huge loss of pension, for the millions of unpaid carers - caregivers/unpaid carers in our constituency are twice as likely as the general population to use a food bank.

The Tory-made crisis in the NHS and destruction of social care through the devastating cuts to Local Authority budgets has put so much stress on individuals and is seriously damaging our economy.

Whilst the Tories seem hell-bent on whipping up yet more hate against migrants, with unworkable immigration policies and rhetoric designed to divide us and distract from their mess - Labour has a plan to start rebuilding.

We would lift pensioners and children out of poverty, levy a proper windfall tax on the huge profits the energy giants are making, stop them from dumping shit into our waterways and start rebuilding our country.

There has been much talk of a May General Election - for us in the North it cannot come soon enough.