A London charity is calling on the government to make changes that will discourage people from cash-in-hand work.

Community Link has launched a campaign called Need NOT Greed this week, which recognises that people work cash-in-hand because they cannot find work or afford to solely live on benefits.

Many people in unsecured work or immigrants are forced to take this up to help them out of the poverty trap, and are often stigmatised as fraudulent.

Campaign coordinator Maeve McGoldrick says the government needs to act now to help the country through the economic downturn.