welfare

April 20, 2014

If Britain was 'Christian' we would stop the war on welfare

In Holy Week, as the Prime Minister grew ever more vocal about his personal faith and the importance of Christian values, the Daily Express brought us the glad tidings that the PM’s colleague Iain Duncan Smith is ‘Winning the War on Benefits’. That’s a war on financial assistance to people who are old, sick, disabled, unemployed or working but paid too little to make ends meet.
April 15, 2014

The media argument over welfare reform

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), meeting in Dundee from 14-16 April 2014), has passed an extensive motion on welfare reform and the effects of poverty in the UK.
April 10, 2014

Listen to disabled people, says Baroness Lister

One of Britain's leading academic and policy experts on poverty and disadvantage, and how to combat them, has commended the new Spartacus Network Report, Beyond the Barriers which was produced wholly by disabled and sick people, and co-published by Ekklesia yesterday (9 April 2014).
April 9, 2014

Disabled and sick people call for an overhaul of failing jobs support system

A key new report highlights the failure of the government's employment support and sanctions system for disabled people and spells out the alternative approach.
April 9, 2014

An unforgiving environment for thousands of disabled people across the UK

This new report Beyond the Barriers: Employment Support Allowance, the Work Programme and recommendations for a new system of support, released by the Spartacus Network and co-published by Ekklesia and the Centre for Welfare Reform today, demonstrates that the policy status quo presents an unforgiving environment for thousands of disabled people across the UK, says its stinging conclusion.
April 8, 2014

Major turnaround needed on ESA, WCA, the Work Programme and welfare
April 8, 2014

Beyond the Barriers: ESA, the Work Programme and recommendations for a new system of support
April 8, 2014

Disabled researchers propose alternatives to failed job tests

A report published today (9 April) aims to kickstart a significant new debate about the failure of sickness and disability support in the UK, why and what must be done to improve it, and how current systems should be re-designed so that all members of society can achieve their goals and aspirations.
April 2, 2014

Open letter: why the welfare cap is wrong

Last week a range of NGOs, advocacy groups, disability rights campaigners and others (including the Christian political think-tank Ekklesia) signed an open letter promoted by Rick Burgess (Caledfwlch,
March 25, 2014

What I would like to hear from Labour on welfare

Conservative MPs frequently say that the Conservatives are the party of ‘hardworking people’, and the Labour Party is ‘the party of welfare’. It’s said as an accusation, an insult, and many Labour MPs take it as such, attempting to deny the charge as if it’s something to be ashamed of.