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, …
Universal Credit
The Spring Statement number you need to know: 600,000 more people pulled into poverty
The most important number from the entire spring statement was not from the Chancellor but from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. They estimated that over the next year, 600,000 people will be pulled into poverty [1]. The 14.6 million people already experiencing poverty will of course be pulled …
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 …
Understanding the changes to Universal Credit
Universal Credit (UC) is a benefit paid to people who are not working due to unemployment, caring responsibilities, illness or disability, as well as to working families with a low income. It is expected that the COVID-19 crisis will mean many more families will rely on Universal Credit. I …
How many children are “Growing up Poor”?
There are a number of measures of child poverty and all agree that child poverty is rising. Tonight’s Channel 4’s Dispatches programme “Growing up Poor” gives some of the children affected by poverty the chance to tell their own stories – and is incredibly powerful as a result. It is great …
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, …
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 …