Just watch this. Please
“To really understand what I’ve been trying to tell you since 2010, please, just watch the film. It’s just 15 minutes long and says more than I ever could in a million words.” Sue Marsh introduces a powerful film about the Independent Living Fund.
People respond to opportunity not coercion
“Mr Kent could stand up for his tenants. He could do something useful like condemning the damage being done by massive rent increases and the additional requirement for benefits this brings. Then he really would be different. Keep taking the pills.” Steve Hilditch reviews recent comments by Mick Kent of Bromford Group on welfare reform.
Bedroom tax - unfair, unworkable and counterproductive
“The only way this course is changed is through resistance – from councils and housing associations refusing evictions and supporting court actions to individuals and communities supporting each other and resisting eviction.” Birmingham Against the Cuts describe their campaign for a no eviction policy.
A responsible approach?
“…when it suits them, this government (perhaps all politicians) are more than happy to characterise something that was making (slower than expected) progress as an ‘exhausted’ approach that failed and actually made things worse.” Stephen Crossley challenges the Coalition’s portrayal of their child poverty strategy.
Frontline Friday 2nd August 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 29th July 2013, from welfare reform to privatisation of the NHS, probation and the Court Service - and should practitioners write about real cases?
Iain Duncan Smith is proud of this
“As part of IDS’s “proud record of achievement”, housing benefit and council tax benefit has been reduced by 22.5%, leaving Steve and his family with an extra £14.50 to find per week.” Jane Carnall explains why Iain Duncan Smith has little to be proud of.
Benefit cap bullshit
Iain Duncan Smith got himself into bother a while back when he claimed DWP research showed that as a result of the benefit cap being announced, 8,000 people who would be affected by it have found work. The UK Statistics Authority disagreed however saying the claim ”is unsupported by the official statistics…“. When finally challenged about this […]
Atos boss earns £44k a week while disabled fight to keep just £131
“While disabled people were hounded to death for a maximum of £131.50 Disability Living Allowance a week, the head of the business chasing them earned £44,000 a week. This is not austerity, it is travesty.” Scriptonite Daily describes the human and financial cost of Atos.
Moral disgust, financial discipline and efficiency: Smartcards and 21st century welfare
During late 2012 a debate began on the discussion board of a group I belong to. It focused on developing local currencies and promoting local businesses through Smartcard technologies. What concerned me wasn’t the technology, but the attitudes that seeped casually around the edges of the discussion about the necessity and inevitability of smartcard use […]
Together we can all achieve positive change
A VERY QUICK POST - TOGETHER WE CAN ALL ACHIEVE POSITIVE CHANGE- OVER 96300 people signed or petition to the Work & Pensions Committee: Hold IDS to account for his use of statistics https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/work-pensions-committee-hold-ids-to-account-for-his-use-of-statistics-2# and today we discover - Duncan Smith to face grilling from MPs over misuse of statistics http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/05/duncan-smith-face-grilling-mps-over-misuse-statistics PEOPLE POWER DOES WORK Courtesy of […]
Memoirs of a benefits scrounger: Jobcentre sanctions me for getting a job
“My transition from good-for-nothing benefits scrounger to upstanding citizen is only a phone call away. …Turned out it wasn’t so easy.” Slutocrat recounts the rigmarole of dealing with the JobCentre.
Work and Pensions Committee to quiz the DWP over statistics!
Hi Everyone, Today I learnt that the Work and Pensions Select committee will be calling Iain Duncan Smith or one of his ministers in to explain their use of statistics. The Work and Pensions committee have decided to pull the minister (Who ever that ends up being) in for a one day session to look […]
What is equality?
These days it’s very confusing to figure out what people really mean. People use the same language to describe entirely different values. Equality, social justice, root causes, systemic change… What does it all mean? The term ‘equality’ has many different interpretations. Surely striving for equality is simply about creating a world where we are all […]
Lies, damned lies, statistics, and Iain Duncan-Smith
After a week free of blogging due to manic activity getting ready for the hugely successful London Labour Housing Group Policy Conference on Saturday, that all-too-common feeling of outrage descended on me again this morning whilst watching a BBC News 24 report on the start of the total benefits cap in 4 London boroughs. I love the […]
Nevermind the £53 p/w. How would IDS cope with the system?
Now that the petition calling for Iain Duncan Smith to prove he can live on £53 a week has been handed in to the Department of Work and Pensions by Change.org, we should start planning his experience of claiming benefits in more detail. Because it’s not just about the amount of money, is it? It’s also the absurd, unfair and unpredictable bureaucracy […]
Guerilla Voice: Dividing lines
The story of the week has undoubtedly been class. One debate on class - the ‘strivers’ and ‘skivers’ argument - has been used by the political class to distract from the debate we should be having, about the widening inequalities in wealth, power and influence that have undermined our society and politics.
Guerilla Voice: Universal Credit might work - but it shows our political system doesn’t
Universal Credit might just be shown to work - which is to say not descend into chaos and confusion - but its origins, development and lack of scrutiny certainly suggests that our political system doesn’t.
Universal Credit: Hardly universal, and no credit to anybody
Earlier this week, a Job Centre somewhere in Mid Wales was graced by the presence of Yr Obdt Srvt, the author of this column. It’s true; I’m a real human being and I receive certain state benefits. Having said that, it transpired during the conversation with my advisor that I was on one less benefit […]
Frontline Friday round-up 4th January 2013
In the first of a new series, we offer up a round up of frontline bloggers from the week of 31st December. The issue of evidence - or lack of it - for Government policies has come through strongly this week in the frontline blogosphere. Another angry woman was particularly unhappy about the report from Westminster […]
Rail fare hikes and tough talk on welfare waste
“With a 4.2% average rise in ticket prices hitting rail commuters today, just how long do politicians think that rises in the cost of essential services, utilities and products will remain ‘sustainable’?” Adam Tugwell argues that today’s problems will not simply be solved by continually taking more from pockets when there is even less to replace it.