Yes, you did read the headline correctly. The first search suggestion in the online “Universal Credit toolkit” for “elementary services occupations” – a page for jobseekers without qualifications – is “striptease artist”. For the avoidance of doubt, the job description given was “dances at adult …
Poverty and Inequality
Meet Your MP – Adventures in Asking & Action (Day 5)
“Listened well… but didn’t change her view” This week we are celebrating some of the stories of congregations from our churches who have taken up the challenge to meet their local MP. Each congregation was able to demonstrate their concerns for the local area, express their hopes and dreams, …
Brexit, Populism and Universal Credit
“A willingness by politicians to say what they think the public want to hear, and a willingness by large parts of the public to believe what they are told by populist politicians, has led to a deterioration in our public discourse” Justice Secretary David Gauke, 3rd July 2019 In 2010 the …
Universal Credit: what you won’t read in the DWP’s “Myth Busting” advertorials
Today there is a good news story about Universal Credit on the front page of newspapers. It is called “Universal Credit Uncovered” and despite the lack of branding it is advertising payed for by the Government to “Bust Myths” about Universal Credit. If you wish to feel happy and delude yourself that …
At last the Government is Rethinking Sanctions: Now let’s do it properly
This is a blog which contains joy and danger in equal measure. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has decided to stop imposing three year-long benefit sanctions as a punishment for not obeying the instructions of the Jobcentre. Such sanctions meant that people had no support for …
One week poverty rises: The next we cut benefits
Announcements you may have missed: Wednesday 27 March: Government announces that life expectancy falls for the poorest women in the UK. Dropping life expectancy in peacetime is extraordinary. The gap in life expectancy between rich and poor is also increasing, as is the gap in healthy …
Measuring Hunger – a big win for campaigners, and it’s only the beginning…
On Wednesday the news broke that the Government was going to measure the level of hunger in the UK. This is a major victory for supporters of the End Hunger UK campaign, including the four Churches which work together in the Joint Public Issues Team. More importantly the scale of hunger in the UK …
Amber Rudd’s statement on Universal Credit: So welcome and so inadequate.
I cannot remember when a statement was so welcome, so infuriating and so inadequate all at the same time. Before Monday the Government’s stock answer on foodbanks was that the reasons for foodbank use were “complex” so it was unfair to blame Universal Credit. The new answer appears to be that …
2 Minute Briefing: Two-Child Rule
11th January 2019 Churches, faith groups and charities are agreed that the two child rule is a terrible policy. It is wrong in principle and its many bad consequences will include pushing around 200,000 children into poverty. Today’s announcement is welcome because, in the short term, 15,000 …
UK Poverty is a choice: UN Rapporteur on Poverty
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights recently undertook a 12-day tour of some of the poorest areas of the UK as part of an investigation into poverty in Britain. Professor Philip Alston is one of the legal global experts in the field of economic and social …