About The CampaignWhat we are fighting for
Welfare Reform
No One Written Off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility
The Department for Work and Pensions released the Green Paper on Welfare Reform 'No One Written Off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility' on the 22nd July 2008. During the 3 month consultation period we have been actively lobbying the DWP to include the informal economy in their strategy to reforming welfare. We met with key advisers, attended workshops and conferences, contributed to round table discussions and wrote a formal contribution . Read our formal contribution here.
Now as the current Welfare Reform Bill stands it consists of the following key areas:
• Reforms the benefits system by abolishing Income Support and moving all claimants on to either Jobseekers’ Allowance if they are well or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if they are sick
• aligns the contribution conditions between Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance
• introduces a regime of benefit sanctions for non-attendance at Jobcentres
• requires job search by partners of benefit claimants
• abolishes Adult Dependency Increases in the Carer’s Allowance and Maternity Allowance
• introduces work-focused interviews for over-60s
• requires work-related activity in return for receipt of Employment and Support Allowance
• introduces a requirement for births to be registered jointly by both parents
• provides additional powers for the enforcement of child maintenance arrears
Read our Blog entries on the Green Paper:
- Two cheers for American Welfare Reform
- DWP Welfare Reform: Who Benefits?
- Putting Prunell in the picture: Welfare Reform
- DWP Welfare Reform: No One Written Off?
- Low Pay in London
The Green Paper consisted of a number of radical proposals (read more) and there was mixed coverage when it came out:
- Ministers to unveil welfare reforms
- (DWP) No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility
- Jobseekers who turn down three job offers should be excluded from the benefits system for three years
- Unions condemn 'draconian and regressive' welfare reforms
- A poignant letter in response to the announcement of the recent DWP Green Paper
Sanctions
- Government announces wide ranging review of the benefits sanctions regime
- Deducting benefits to reduce worklessness is based on a false analysis of the problems preventing people finding work.
Support
- Jobcentre plus: giving people the help and support they need
- One step from benefits to work
- Turn 2 Us - providing people with the right financial support and benefits entitlement
- Minister calls for creater support and more of a focus on the positives like developing social enterprises
Joined up Governent
- Financial inclusion champions – joined service between the DWP and Treasury.
- In and out of work benefits
Next Steps
- End of consultation for Green Paper
- Is unemployment Benefit a good ting after all?
- Farewell to Welfare
- The Green Party response to the Green Paper, refering to Need not Greed
The White Paper
- Welfare mothers to be forced to work - the white paper deadline on the 10th December
- Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: reforming Welfare for the future, the White Paper
- Listen to Polly Toynbee on the Welfare Reform
Here are some links to a selection of reactions to this week’s DWP white paper:
- Matthew Norman, the Independent.
- The Guardian
- Compass
- Nick Robinson, BBC
- Jeff Randall, the Daily Telegraph
- Age Concern
- TUC
- Welfare Reform Statement
NEW DWP RESEARCH : Complexity and uncertainty of benefit, tax credit and child support systems undermines some mothers' attempts to return to work
Jobcentre plus advisers offer the long-term unemployed greater support to move back into work : New package os support from employers, for trainng and to help start up your own business.
Welfare Reform becomes a Bill - watch the video -
Latest articles on the Welfare Reform Bill:
Third reading of Welfare Reform and different MPs concerns:
Question time briefing for the DWP