benefits

UK government is ‘violating international law’ over poverty levels, says UN official

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/11/uk-government-is-violating-international-law-over-poverty-levels-says-un-official/

The UK government is in breach of international law over failing to tackle extreme levels of poverty and destitution in the country, according to a scathing assessment made by the UN’s special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

It comes after the Joseph Rowntree Foundation recently released a report showing that almost 4 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including more than a million children.

Government data recently revealed that 14.4 million people lived in relative poverty in 2021-22 – a million more than the previous year.

With a cost of living crisis and soaring food and fuel prices as well as increasing housing costs, Olivier De Schutter, the UN’s special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, slammed the UK’s woefully inadequate welfare system, citing research showing universal credit payments of £85 a week for single adults over 25 were “grossly insufficient” and described the UK’s main welfare system as “a leaking bucket”.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/11/uk-government-is-violating-international-law-over-poverty-levels-says-un-official/

Continue ReadingUK government is ‘violating international law’ over poverty levels, says UN official

Britain on course for lowest benefits rates in history

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/britain-on-course-for-lowest-benefits-rates-in-history

Tory Chancellor Jeremy Hunt condemned after announcing harsher welfare sanctions in an ugly resurgence of its austerity-era ‘shirker’ rhetoric

Official portrait of Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP crop 3
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. (He always looked pinned to me. )

BRITAIN is on course for the lowest benefits rates since records began, a new report found as the Tories were yesterday condemned for announcing harsher welfare sanctions in an ugly resurgence of its austerity-era “shirker” rhetoric.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt told the Conservative conference the government is replacing the work capability assessment and examining the sanctions regime.

Save the Children UK branded his claims that 100,000 people are leaving the labour market every year for a life on benefits were based on a “complete fallacy.”

The charity’s head of child poverty Becca Lyon said: “In fact, the so-called ‘safety net’ of universal credit is so low that 90 per cent of low-income households are regularly going without essentials like regular meals, a hot shower, or heating.”

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/britain-on-course-for-lowest-benefits-rates-in-history

Continue ReadingBritain on course for lowest benefits rates in history

Disgraceful Tory Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson says ‘nonsense’ to claim there is poverty

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/10/disgraceful-tory-deputy-chairman-lee-anderson-says-nonsense-to-claim-there-is-poverty/

The End Child Poverty Coalition revealed that an extra 600,000 children were plunged into poverty in a year as ministers got rid of extra support for families on Universal Credit.

Lee Anderson
Lee Anderson

In the latest incident of vile and disgraceful remarks made by Tory ministers at the party’s conference, Tory Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson has said that it’s ‘nonsense’ to claim there is poverty.

The MP for Ashfield made the comments while on the fringes of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Tuesday, where he went on to add that people just needed to “get off their arse”.

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“This poverty nonsense. Go in a time machine back to when I was growing up in the 1970s — that was real poverty.”

He went on to add: “If you want something you can get it. You need to get off your arse and go and get it for yourself.”

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/10/disgraceful-tory-deputy-chairman-lee-anderson-says-nonsense-to-claim-there-is-poverty/

Continue ReadingDisgraceful Tory Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson says ‘nonsense’ to claim there is poverty

Sanctions make it harder for benefit claimants to find work, new research finds

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/08/sanctions-make-it-harder-for-benefit-claimants-to-find-work-new-research-finds/

Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

“Demanding compliance from people means they end up jumping through hoops rather than finding jobs that are a good fit for them”

Benefit sanctions make it harder for claimants to find a good job, new research has found. According to the research carried out by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), the majority of people required to attend job centres to access benefits think that being sanctioned undermines their ability to find a good job.

According to a report in PoliticsHome, NEF commissioned polling of unemployed people receiving universal credit and required to attend job centre appointments found that 61 per cent said the threat of sanctions found it harder for them to have a trusting relationship with support services. That figure is higher for unemployed people who are also disabled – at 69%. 63% also said that the threat of sanctions negatively impacted their mental health, rising to 73% for disabled people.

Welfare claimants were also likely to report negative experiences of attending job centre appointments. 73 per cent reported that their first meeting at the job centre focused on the rules and obligations placed on claimants. 59 per cent also said they felt that the job centre wanted them to get a job as quickly as possible, rather than finding a role which was a good fit.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/08/sanctions-make-it-harder-for-benefit-claimants-to-find-work-new-research-finds/

Continue ReadingSanctions make it harder for benefit claimants to find work, new research finds

Free school meals scheme extended to every primary school pupil in London

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/free-school-meals-scheme-extended-to-every-primary-school-pupil-in-london

THE Mayor of London unveiled an emergency scheme today to extend free school meals to every primary school pupil in the capital for one year.

Sadiq Khan said the one-off £130m programme, which comes into effect from September, is an effort to help struggling households amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Funded by extra business rates income, it is estimated the move will help about 270,000 primary school pupils and save families in London about £440 per child over the year.

Currently, households in England receiving universal credit must earn less than £7,400 a year before benefits and after tax to qualify for free school meals.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/free-school-meals-scheme-extended-to-every-primary-school-pupil-in-london

Continue ReadingFree school meals scheme extended to every primary school pupil in London