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Welfare Reform Bill

  • 30 Jan 2012
    Slashing welfare benefits: scolding and false sympathy

    Successive UK governments, and their media allies, have been vigorous in smearing benefit claimants. To achieve this, politicians and their propagandists have played on popular stereotypes, stoking up prejudice against ‘scroungers’ while lavishly rewarding members of their own class at taxpayers’ expense. Savi Hensman looks at the reality behind the rhetoric, especially in relation to assessment.

  • 30 Jan 2012
    An open letter to Iain Duncan Smith

    Dear Iain

    You once described yourself as “the quiet man”. It didn't quite work for you at the time, which is a pity, because quietness implies a capacity for reflection, listening and, in the words of our Quaker 'Advices and Queries', for finding space to “consider it possible you may be mistaken”. These are not qualities which are much in evidence among our noisier politicians.

  • 30 Jan 2012
    MPs face huge lobbying effort over damaging welfare reforms

    Charities, NGOs, poverty, disability and faith groups across Britain are lobbying MPs to vote for significant changes to the Welfare Reform Bill

  • 29 Jan 2012
    Disabled people lead London blockade in Welfare Reform Bill protest

    Disabled people chained wheelchairs together and led hundreds of others in forming barriers across Oxford Street on Saturday to protest against welfare cuts.

  • 28 Jan 2012
    Disabled, sick and elderly people resist government welfare cuts

    Groups of disabled, sick and elderly people will take to the streets in central London today to protest loudly against government welfare cuts.

  • 26 Jan 2012
    Pressure intensifies as government stays deaf to welfare pleas

    The government has suffered its sixth defeat on its controversial Welfare Reform Bill, and disabled and anti-cuts campaigners are taking to the streets.

  • 25 Jan 2012
    Lord's welfare amendments on CSA and emergency payments

    A series of further amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill are being discussed at the end of the WRB report stage in the House of Lords today.

    The two key amendments are as follows:

    62BJ

  • 25 Jan 2012
    Government challenged in Lords on Social Fund and child support

    The government has been desperately lobbying behind the scenes to try to avoid further defeats on its controversial welfare bill in the Lords today.

  • 23 Jan 2012
    Bishops lead the way in government defeat on benefits

    The government has been defeated in the House of Lords in a key part of its attempts to reduce the benefits available to unemployed people and part-time workers.

  • 23 Jan 2012
    Falsehoods and confusions about the benefit cap

    Since early this morning there has been a furious battle to establish proper fact and true value in the argument over the government's proposed welfare benefit cap. As I write (17:30, 23 January 2012) it has just won the first vote in the House of Lords, but the arguments have been going the other way.