Commentary and analysis on recent UK politics news. Con-Dems continue attack on benefits and Osborne's autumn statement Discussion of the invention of terrorism and the demonization of Islam and Muslims The Conservative-Liberal-'Democrat'-Conservative coalition intends to persecute benefits claimants and (poor) young people. Jobless young people without basic skills told to learn or lose benefits ... The principles of "earn or learn" have been hotly debated within the coalition, after David Cameron used his conference speech in October to float the idea of taking away housing benefit and jobseeker's allowance from under-25s who were not in work or training. The Liberal Democrats have not agreed to all those ideas but appear to have relented on some elements of "earn or learn", as Osborne announced that 18 to 21-year-olds without basic skills would only get their benefit if they undergo 16 hours of training a week. On top of this, all 18 to 21-year-olds who are unemployed for more than six months will have to undertake compulsory work experience, a traineeship or a full-time community work placement. The measures appear to be an extension of the government's controversial "workfare" schemes – or mandatory work activity – where jobseekers are forced to go on a month of work experience in order to qualify for their benefits. ... Autumn statement: how are families and individuals affected? ... Missing from the autumn statement were figures on welfare benefits, tax credits and child benefit. Under the Welfare Benefits Uprating Act passed earlier this year, rises in most benefits no longer go up by the rate of inflation but are capped at an increase of 1% until 2016. So Jobseekers Allowance, currently £71.70 for the over 25s who have a record of paying National Insurance, should on that basis rise to £72.42 – an increase of 72p, or enough to buy a tin of Heinz baked beans at Tesco and still have 4p left over. In the 2010 budget, Osborne said child benefit rates would be frozen for three years, taking effect from April 2011. Since then, the rate has been £20.30 a week for the first child and £13.40 for the second or more. Nothing was mentioned about child benefit in the autumn statement, but assuming the provisions of the Uprating bill are applied to child benefit from April next year, expect another 20p for the first child and 15p for the second. The basic state pension, currently £110.15 a week, will rise by 2.7% - the rate of inflation – to £113.10. George Osborne also confirmed that the state pension age will rise to 68 nearly 15 years earlier than originally planned, starting for people retiring in the mid-2030s, rather than 2046. It will then rise again to 60 by the late 2040s, and 70 in the decades after that, saving £500bn from pension expenditure over the next 50 years. "We have to guarantee that the basic state pension is affordable in the future, even as people live longer and our society grows older. The…