On Thursday 10 May, over 15 people from Haringey and Brent travelled to Edgware Road to hold a protest outside the main offices of Genesis Housing Association - a major social landlord in the borough. 

In April, the Conservative-Liberal coalition trialed a benefit cap on 4 London boroughs, one of which is Haringey.  This has slashed the amount of benefits that the poorest in our borough can claim - meaning less money to spend on children, food, clothing and rent. 

Genesis had recently sent out letters to 57 Haringey residents, informing them that they were beginning court proceedings to evict them, because the tenants were affected by these welfare reforms.

No Evictions!  Cut Rents Not Benefits
Protest : Thursday 9th May, 8am, at Genesis Housing Association Head Office
Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London, NW1 5DT (next to Edgware Rd tube, circle Line exit)

This is a statement from Paul Nicholson from Taxpayers Against Poverty:

I am refusing to pay my council tax in support of the many people in the uk suffering under the catastrophic and very unfair benefit cuts and caps, who are also charged a council tax they cannot pay.

This is a personal decision for which I am entirely responsible; it is taken without the prior knowledge of the Church of England or of the NGOs with which I am associated.

This Sunday, a few of people from Boycott Workfare will be coming to Haringey to picket Homebase in Green Lanes about their take up of forced labour.  Sunday is their busiest trading day in the week.  Please come along and join in.

1pm-2.30pm, Sunday 14th April, Haringey Homebase, Green Lanes. (close to Sainsbury's & Harringay Green Lanes overground)

In just one week, Homebase in Haringey profits from 750 hours of unpaid work, with over 20 workfare placements in the store. A fact which they proudly display on a poster in their back office.

Not surprisingly, this is having a massive impact on the paid work available: a staff member has told us that, since tens of workfare placements were brought in, overtime has been cut for everyone. Some people’s hours have been cut from 48 down to eight – far below the threshold for Working Tax Credits – because that is all they are contracted for.