ACTIVISTS campaigning for action to tackle the cost of living crisis have delivered a charter of demands ahead of protest on Saturday.
The demands range from the specific, including an immediate re-introduction of the £20 universal credit uplift, to broader calls for a redistribution of wealth.
Belfast's Cost of Living Coalition, formed earlier this year amid soaring energy costs and other price increases, launched the charter ahead of the weekend demonstration at City Hall.
The protest will coincide with the latest energy price hike kicking in, a 56 per cent increase by Firmus Energy, described by the Consumer Council as the "most shocking" of all the recent rises.
Members of the coalition include trade unionists, community activists and politicians, most prominently People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll.
"The cost of living crisis does not exist for everyone. For the workers striking for inflation busting pay rises, for the women making difficult decisions for their families, this crisis is real and terrifying," the west Belfast representative said.
Among the demands are an immediate from re-instatement of the £20 benefit uplift, increasing benefits in line with inflation, increasing the carers' allowance, the implementation of an anti-poverty strategy, pay rises ahead of the inflation rate and health care reform.
The demands are directed at both Stormont and Westminster. Among those adding support to the campaign are former boxer Paddy Barnes and Good Vibrations founder Terri Hooley.
"There is a serious inequity in the system which needs to be challenged," said Maria Morgan, a benefits adviser from north Belfast.
"Low income families, people on certain benefits, and more have fallen through the cracks and those people are forced to use food banks or starve if they are too embarrassed, which we see."
Siobhan Harding. of the Women's Support Network said there are women in communities "making choices between heating homes, putting food on the table or buying presents this Christmas".
"A lot of this poverty is unseen because women are the shock absorber of society. In this charter are the measures that can be made now to protect people, from re-instating the £20 benefit uplift to increasing the rate of benefits in line with inflation, increasing carers' allowance, and implementation of the anti-poverty strategy."
"People are dying on waiting lists because they aren't getting access to the healthcare they pay in tax for already and can't afford to pay private. It is a disgrace, especially as times are getting harder for workers," said Conor McCarthy, a health worker and Unison trade union representative.
"This could be alleviated by cutting the profiteering and the privatisation out of our healthcare system."
Mr Carroll added: "For the bankers set to win from the Tory budget and the massive energy companies profiteering off our bills, there is no cost of living crisis."