Tag Archives: Welfare

European plans to regulate credit card transaction fees could hit poorest

By Guest | Published: June 19, 2013

The European Commission’s plans to regulate so-called ‘multilateral interchange fees’ could have major implications for the government’s ability to successfully implement welfare reform and will negatively impact on financial inclusion efforts in the UK.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Also tagged credit cards, European Union, multilateral interchange fees, regulation, Universal Credit | 3 Responses

There’s something badly wrong with our welfare system

By Guest | Published: June 14, 2013

Today’s figures should open up debate on how to reform the current system of tax credits and benefits. What is clear is that more needs to be done to address the growing number of people who are actively contributing to society but yet are finding it increasingly difficult just to get by.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Also tagged benefits, department of work and pensions, IFS, Institute for Fiscal Studies, ippr, social security, spending, welfare state | 6 Responses

Scottish independence poses risk to UK welfare system

By Ed Jacobs | Published: June 12, 2013

Immediately separating the administration of the welfare system in the event of Scotland opting to become an independent state “would present serious risks to the continuity of payments to people in both Scotland and England”, according to a new report.

Posted in A Britain We All Call Home | Also tagged benefits, independence, Scotland, the welfare state | 32 Responses

Did the welfare bill really get out of control under Labour?

By Guest | Published: June 11, 2013

The idea that social security spending got out of control under Labour isn’t really backed up by Department of Work and Pensions evidence.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Also tagged benefits, deaprtment of work and pensions, Ed Miliband, Gordon Brown, out of control, social security, spending, welfare state | 28 Responses

Next time someone claims that immigrants are destroying Britain, show them this

By James Bloodworth | Published: June 5, 2013

Spoken word poet Hollie McNish spells out what’s wrong with most of the arguments used against immigration. She cites as her inspiration a book by economist Philippe Legrain called Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them.

Posted in A Britain We All Call Home | Also tagged benefits, Europe, Immigration, migrants, migration, the eu | 65 Responses

Speaker Bercow is right: migrants are harder workers

By James Bloodworth | Published: June 5, 2013

John Bercow is getting a lot of flack right now from the right-wing press for comments made in Romania in which he seemed to imply that EU migrants were better workers than their British counterparts.

Posted in A Britain We All Call Home | Also tagged benefits, Europe, harder workers, Immigration, john bercow, migrants, migration, the eu | 7 Responses

How attractive is Britain to ‘benefit tourists’?

By James Bloodworth | Published: May 31, 2013

It’s been reported that work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith is to challenge the EU commissioner Laszlo Andor after the latter, along with his fellow commissioners, announced that the commission would be taking Britain to court for discriminatory practices in its application of regulations on welfare payments.

Posted in A Britain We All Call Home | Also tagged benefits, Europe, Immigration, migrants, migration, the eu | 8 Responses

EU benefits are ‘land grab’ by Brussels, says Duncan Smith

By Claudia Tomlinson | Published: May 31, 2013

The EU Commissioner for employment and social affairs, Laszlo Andor, is taking the British government to court over what it says are discriminatory practices in its application of regulations on welfare payments.

Posted in Good Society | Also tagged benefits, Europe, Immigration, migrants, migration, the eu | 1 Response

Stephanie Bottrill: The treasury ‘does not comment on individual cases’ (except when it can use them to demonise the welfare state)

By James Bloodworth | Published: May 14, 2013

Having gained notoriety for his bizarre lifestyle, Michael Philpott caused outrage after he was found to have caused the deaths of six of his children in a fire which he started deliberately.

Memorably, the case was jumped on by the right-wing press as “a vile product of welfare UK”. George Osborne even chipped in, saying it raised important welfare “questions”.

Posted in Good Society | Also tagged Bedroom Tax, George Osborne, grandmother, michael Philpott, stephanie bottrill | 12 Responses

Benefit fraud accounts for just 0.7 per cent of welfare budget, official figures show

By James Bloodworth | Published: May 9, 2013

The latest report estimates fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain, published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) today, found that benefit fraud accounts for just 0.7 per cent of the welfare budget.

Posted in Good Society | Also tagged benefit fraud, DWP, tax avoidance, TUC | 1 Response

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