Welfare reform

Trade union and anti-poverty campaigners have strongly criticised government proposals to reform the welfare system put forward in the white paper Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future

The PCS civil service union, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the TUC have described the reforms as “regressive”, “flawed” and likely to “stigmatise” unemployed people. They offer more help to get people back to work but couple this to an expectation that they will “take up” that support.

Reforms that the government has in mind include a single income-replacement benefit with Income Support abolished and claimants moving either to the Jobseeker’s Allowance, or Employment and Support Allowance — this would be targeted more at people who are “genuinely not capable of work”.