Archive: Benefit Cap

Comment: The benefit cap will drive more children into poverty

Richard Exell: 'The benefit cap increases poverty and inequality and is being argued for in a way that stigmatises people who are already weak.'

Despite government claims it is an 'incentive to work', the benefit cap will actually make the problems poverty and inequality - especially for children - much worse.

Ministers 'drawing back' from child poverty pledge

Benefit cap forcing London families into poverty

Welfare reform ‘will drive children into poverty’

Opinion Former Articles

CIOT: Tax experts surprised over few changes to proposed reliefs cap

Tax experts are surprised that the Government is pressing ahead with its proposed cap on income tax reliefs, subject only to a few technical changes. During the recent consultation representative bodies warned the Government that the proposals, as framed, were anti-business and would hit some with modest net incomes, leading to them being taxed on more income than they actually receive.

"Welfare reforms will penalise the vulnerable and divide society" warns Unite

Britain’s largest union, Unite, today (Wednesday, 1 February) urged MPs to oppose the Welfare Reform Bill, warning that it will hit low paid working people, push over 200,000 thousand children into poverty and leave some families with as little as 62p per person per day to live on.

CPAG: Introduction to welfare rights

This week-long course is aimed at advisers, social workers, probation workers, health and housing workers and others new to welfare benefit advice work. This course is designed to give participants an understanding of the structure of the benefit and tax credit system, ability to identify the issues that may affect entitlement and an appreciation of the importance of advice and advocacy. The emphasis is on tackling benefit questions through case studies, including how to calculate entitlements, and providing participants with the chance to practise using CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook.

Rethink Mental Illness: New GP survey shows Government welfare test is pushing vulnerable people to the brink

More than eight out of ten GPs say they have patients who have developed mental health problems due to a controversial benefits test, according to new polling released today by the charity Rethink Mental Illness.

London boroughs first in line for benefit cap

Haringey, one of the four boroughs where the benefits cap is being rolled out

Households in four London boroughs are the first to face the coalition's cap on monthly benefit payments, ahead of a broader national rollout later this year.

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Podcast: The benefit cap bites

A map showing how different areas of London will be affected by housing benefit changes

Are those on benefits being treated unfairly by the coalition? Ministers are preventing them from receiving more than £26k a year, leaving many with nowhere to turn. Just like the rest of us, then…

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Benefit cap forcing London families into poverty

Limited social housing is making the benefits cap impact even harder for councils to cope with

The coalition's benefit cap is pushing families in the capital into poverty, a London borough mayor has warned.

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Benefit cap 'forcing' people back to work

Iain Duncan Smith defends his welfare reforms

The threat of government plans to cap benefits at £26,000 a year has pushed 1,700 people into work, figures show.

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David Cameron's welfare crackdown speech in full

David Cameron's speech addresses further cuts in the welfare budget

Conservative leader David Cameron's speech in Dartford on the need for more welfare cuts, and where he hopes to make them, is being viewed as a key moment in the development of the coalition. Here's the text in full:

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Welfare reform: Don't expect much fight from the Lords

Benefit cap resistance likely to be dampened through nine-month grace period

Reading this blogpost is going to be a painful experience for opponents of the government's welfare reforms - especially those that read my observations on the theoretical possibilities about resistance in the Lords last week.

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