The Government’s strategy for addressing poverty and inequality is geared towards tackling benefit dependency and making the transition into work easier. In this respect there is a great deal of continuity with the rhetoric, if not the practice, of the previous Labour administration. The publication today of this […]
We are starting to get strong indications of the shape of the Coalition’s proposals on welfare. Today’s papers are trailing the core idea of requiring unemployed people to participate in 30-hours per week of unpaid manual work in the community for four week periods. It appears that if […]
Barnet council is in the vanguard in the pursuit of significant changes and savings in service delivery, under the headline grabbing tagline ‘easyCouncil’. Reports today that its programme of change will cost more this year than it will save should fill no one with great surprise. For several […]
Since Wednesday’s CSR announcement much has been said and written about whether the proposed changes in public spending are “fair” or otherwise. Nick Clegg in particular has gone on the offensive and attacked the IFS for drawing the conclusion that the CSR measures are regressive, below the top […]
In his speech to the Tory party conference yesterday David Cameron used the argument that “it’s fair those with broader shoulders should bear a greater load” as justification for the removal of child benefit from higher earners. The appeal to “broader shoulders” is one of those statements that […]
The Chancellor’s proposal to cap total benefit entitlement at average income is just too dispiriting for words. If any coherent thought lies behind it I’d be surprised. If it is nothing more than pandering to the more rabid elements of the Tory faithful at party conference then that would […]
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