Government is cutting vital sources of support for victims of discrimination

Responding to the announcement today (Tuesday) that the government is to cut the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) budget, outsource its helpline and scale back the public sector equalities duty, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
"Today's announcement is bad news for people facing discrimination and mistreatment as they will have fewer places to turn to for support.
"Outsourcing the EHRC helpline will mean the loss of specialist support for the thousands of people who call in every month.
"And just a day after the EHRC investigation showed that the public sector equality duty is helping to build the evidence needed for sound policies, ministers are looking to run it down.
"These cuts will mean more bad policy making which will further alienate those who are already bearing the brunt of the government's austerity programme."