Myths and distortions about our benefits system have now become so widely accepted that they have poisoned the entire debate about our social safety net. In this guest post, Simon Duffy of the Centre for Welfare Reform explores how we could reframe the debate.
Food banks and job clubs, run by churches and community organisations around the country are reporting increased numbers of destitute people asking for emergency help, who come to them with the story “I’ve been sanctioned”. Greg Smith, a long-standing supporter of Church Action on Poverty, explores just what that means.
Church Action on Poverty has supported the launch of the Greater Manchester Living Wage Campaign. Tom Skinner, the Campaign coordinator, reflects on how it’s going so far.
Today (13 June), the Department for Work and Pensions published the latest UK income and poverty figures, covering 2011-12 (the first full year of the Coalition government). They make depressing reading.
The House of Commons Select Committee for Work and Pensions invited feedback about the role of Jobcentre Plus in welfare reform. We made sure that they heard the shocking stories of the people we work with, many of whom are being forced further into poverty by unfair rules and systems.
Today saw the launch of the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission’s report: 16 recommendations to prevent 1.6m more from sliding into deeper poverty.
