Child poverty has steadily increased over the past 15 years, but it is clear how that trend can be reversed. It requires government and institutions to prioritise poverty reduction, and a significant financial investment in measures that will have an impact. In the autumn, the Government will …
Universal Credit
Sanctions don’t work – but they are increasing anyway
Last month, the Department for Work and Pensions released its internal review into the effectiveness of benefit sanctions[1]. To summarise the report – sanctions are not effective. Not only are they ineffective – they are harmful. Previous research shows that removing benefits increases hardship, …
Tax and the cost of living
The Conservative Party is choosing a new leader, who will become the UK’s next Prime Minister. One of the key issues throughout the campaign has been tax cuts. All the candidates – including Sunak and Truss who remain in the contest – wish to cut taxes. The only differences between candidate have …
Universal Credit: Why do we think more threats and less choice helps the unemployed?
The Government has announced a new jobs “mission”. The headline policy in this mission is to say to people who lose their job that after four weeks they will also lose their choice about what jobs they should apply for. If they insist on having a choice in how they earn a living, they will be …
Excrescences and Performative Cruelty
The former Welfare Reform minster has described two of his own policies as “excrescences” that were made into law because they were popular. The phrase “Performative Cruelty” has been used to describe such policies and most recently in describing the treatment of refugees. Here Paul asks if or when …
The cost of a decent life
As I write Christmas is only 21 sleeps away! I’m not too stressed about Christmas; I have already bought my train ticket home and I have had some good ideas about presents that I am going to buy members of my family. But for millions of families with low incomes, the cost of presents, Christmas food …
Responding to the Budget
On Wednesday 27th October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced the Autumn Budget in the House of Commons. It’s hard to ground Budget statements in everyday reality – not least because different people and different political parties see reality very differently. At other times, …
The effect of Covid-19 on women who sell sex or are sexually exploited
In May 2021, the Joint Public Issues Team published research with the charity Beyond the Streets into the effect of Covid-19 on women who are sexually exploited or sell sex. The issue was brought up at a focus group with local churches and communities which JPIT ran around a year ago, when we were …
Trussell Trust figures reveal a record number turning to foodbanks during the pandemic
A report published last week by the Trussell Trust reveals a record 2.5 million food parcels were distributed by their network of food banks in the past year. The figure represents a 33% increase on the previous year, including a disproportionately large increase in the number of parcels …
Reaction to the Budget
In this Budget, the Chancellor faced the difficult task of setting financial and economic priorities at a time when unprecedented support has been needed, and continues to be needed, to help the country get through the pandemic. As well as setting out plans for the extension of that support, he had …