Thank you for contacting me about loneliness.
Loneliness can affect anyone and everyone, with major impacts on health and wellbeing and I fully support the Government's work in tackling loneliness.
Since the first cross-government loneliness strategy was published in 2018, the Government has worked with a wide range of partners to raise awareness of loneliness and improve the support for lonely people in England.
The Government has delivered against all the departmental commitments in the original strategy and reached millions of people through annual communications campaigns which aim to reduce the stigma associated with loneliness. For example, I welcome the success of the 'Lift Someone Out of Loneliness' campaign which reached millions.
I understand the Government has grown its Tackling Loneliness Network of organisations from across sectors, and published new research into loneliness and its impacts. Furthermore, ministers from across government have been brought together to continue to drive forward action to tackle loneliness.
The Government has provided organisations and community groups with millions of pounds of funding to help foster connections across communities.
I fully appreciate how loneliness can affect every area of our lives and the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of social connections for people of all ages and backgrounds. I also appreciate how some groups are disproportionately affected, including young people and people who are LGBT. In addition, I am also aware of emerging evidence that the cost-of-living pressure is likely to exacerbate loneliness.
I look forward to continuing to support the Government's work in reducing stigma, creating a long-lasting shift in policy making and across communities to ensure loneliness is taken into account, and improve the evidence-base to make the compelling case for further action.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.