Universal Credit will be debated in Parliament today and the JPIT churches have sent a briefing to every MP outlining our concerns. The briefing outlines some of the key problems but the central message is simple: Universal Credit’s processes suit the lives of the relatively well-off, the people …
department of work and pension
Universal Credit: Bending the evidence and carrying on regardless
At Prime Minister’s Questions Theresa May defended the roll out of Universal Credit by saying that the new benefit gets more people into work. Since July the Government has used the phrase, “[with] Universal Credit people are moving into work faster and staying in work longer than under the old …
Universal Credit – David Gauke’s inadequate answer to a huge problem
Paul Morrison explains why the Universal Credit announcements are not what they seem. Families applying for Universal Credit must wait 6 weeks for their first payment. This is causing huge problems. Families are building up rent arrears, debts and needing help from foodbanks as they wait for …
Benefit Cap cuts to single parents with young children is unlawful says High Court
The Benefit Cap causes real misery to no good purpose. While I agree with this sentiment it is not mine. It comes from the closing sentence of a High Court judgement which declares unlawful the Government’s policy of capping the benefits of single parents with children under 2 years old. The full …
DWP Benefit Cap Announcement: More Leeches please!
For over 2,000 years medics cut people open or applied leaches to remove blood from people suffering from diseases ranging from cancer to haemorrhoids. With the wrong diagnosis and a dangerous treatment, it is not surprising that the medics didn’t do any good. The practice remained popular because …
Mr Cameron: Stop saying disabled people are exempted from the Bedroom Tax – they are not.
During Prime Ministers questions David Cameron was asked about the impact of the Bedroom Tax (also called removal of the Spare Room Subsidy) on disabled people. The answer he gave was straight forwardly untrue: “Obviously, what we have done is to exempt disabled people who need an extra room.” …
After Iain Duncan Smith’s Resignation
Iain Duncan Smith has resigned. There have been celebrations in some places and tears in others. The media is full of political analysis about how this will affect the internals of the Government and there appears to be a fight underway about how the man will be remembered. Although I have a view I …
You don’t get to call it a Living Wage unless you can live on it
Today’s budget ended with the Chancellor announcing a “National Living Wage”. The name was right, the marketing was cunning but sadly the policy bears no resemblance to a Living Wage. The Living Wage is an ethical principle converted into a wage rate; today’s “National Living Wage” is a welcome …
Mr Cameron: Stop saying disabled people are exempted from the Bedroom Tax – they are not.
During Prime Ministers questions David Cameron was asked about the impact of the Bedroom Tax (also called removal of the Spare Room Subsidy) on disabled people. The answer he gave was straight forwardly untrue: “Obviously, what we have done is to exempt disabled people who need an extra room.” …