By Molly Lee
The students’ union officers from De Montfort University (DMU/DSU) and the University of Leicester (UOL/LSU) have sent a joint letter to local MPs, requesting that they unite to tackle the cost-of-living crisis for students.
Four of the officers from the two universities sent a formal letter to MPs that represent East Leicester, South Leicester, West Leicester, and the Harborough, Oadby and Wigston area.
This letter aimed to arrange a meeting with the local MPs to discuss the government’s approach to the cost-of-living support for students.
In the letter, they said: “We are asking for a tailored cost of living support package for students, as well as an increased maintenance loan threshold.”
Amir Iqbal, DSU Union Development Executive, said: “Maintenance loans do not fully cover the cost of food, energy bills and more – it really isn’t fair on them.”
With the cost of living increasing, many students are having to seek out employment to fund living that their student finance does not fully cover.
The current support packages such as Universal Credit do not include students.
The idea of a tailored cost-of-living support package for students that the officers have proposed to the local MPs would consist of a maintenance loan uplift and financial support for students.
As of Thursday, November 11, they had received a response from MPs Jonathan Ashworth, Liz Kendall, and Neil O’Brien.
Both the DSU and LSU executive officers were due to meet Mr Ashworth and Ms Kendall MP last Thursday(NOV18).
A meeting with Mr O’Brien, MP for the Harborough, Oadby and Wigston area, was yet to be arranged.
Amir added: “The letter is actually part of a bigger campaign from NUS.”
Both DSU and LSU have united and will continue to do so as a bigger movement from student representatives to support students during the current cost of living crisis.
To view the whole letter you can follow this link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIpejys4KA/
