An article examined how individuals directly affected by changes to the benefits system in the United Kingdom experienced and responded to the reforms. It said that 'getting by' on benefits often entailed substantial hard 'work', which was frequently time intensive, and often happened alongside other forms of socially valuable contribution, such as caring or volunteering. It said there was a strong orientation towards paid employment, but fluid movements in and out of work were quite common. The article also discussed the (mis)match between the government rhetoric of benefits as a 'lifestyle choice' and individual lived experiences.
Source: Ruth Patrick, 'Working on welfare: findings from a qualitative longitudinal study into the lived experiences of welfare reform in the UK', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 43 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Sep
A paper examined the efficacy and ethicality of conditional forms of welfare in England and Scotland, bringing together evidence collected during the initial stages of an ongoing study on the topic. It said that benefit sanctions disproportionately affected young people under 25 and had severe impacts on vulnerable groups, while causing a range of unintended consequences, such as causing hardship or destitution, and having a negative impact on children. The paper said that a review of international evidence on the use of sanctions had indicated unfavourable longer-term outcomes for earnings, job quality, and employment retention. A series of short briefing papers were also published, outlining the 'state of play' regarding conditionality in a range of policy areas (anti-social behaviour, disability, homelessness, lone parents, migrants, offenders, social housing, and unemployment).
Source: Beth Watts, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Glen Bramley, and David Watkins, Welfare Sanctions and Conditionality in the UK, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2014-Sep
A report examined support for people with disabilities under universal credit, arguing that it could decrease work incentives, and would leave some people who were not able to work worse off. The report made recommendations.
Source: Rebalancing Universal Credit: Making it work for disabled people, Citizens Advice
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Sep
A report (by an official advisory body) said that there was a lack of evidence regarding the impact on vulnerable groups of draft regulations that extended the period of waiting days at the start of an award of jobseeker's allowance or employment support allowance. It said that, if the government went ahead with the proposals as planned, the committee would recommend for the government to: extend the existing set of exemptions; strengthen the process for informing people of the availability of short term benefit advances; and ensure that communications about the process and eligibility were clear, to avoid misunderstandings. The government's response was incorporated into the report.
Source: The Social Security (Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance) (Waiting Days) Amendment Regulations 2014 (S.I.2014 No. 2309) – Report by the Social Security Advisory Committee under Section 174(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and statement by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in accordance with Section 174(2) of that Act, Social Security Advisory Committee
Links: Report | Touchstone blog
Date: 2014-Sep
The government began consultation on proposals to allow the Department for Work and Pensions to share information with social landlords to enable them to support tenants who were claiming universal credit. The consultation would close on 19 October 2014.
Source: Universal Credit Data Sharing with Social Landlords: A consultation on draft regulations, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2014-Sep
A special issue of a journal examined the ethics of reform of welfare policy across European countries since the economic crisis, the policy discourse associated with austerity policy, and the impacts of the reforms on patterns of power, inequality, and injustice in different European nations.
Source: Journal of Contemporary European Studies, Volume 22 Issue 2
Links: Table of contents
Notes: Articles included:
Adam Whitworth and Elle Carter, 'Welfare-to-work reform, power and inequality: from governance to governmentalities'
Daniel Edmiston, 'The age of austerity: contesting the ethical basis and financial sustainability of welfare reform in Europe'
Dan Heap, 'The rights and responsibilities of working-age sick and disabled benefit claimants in austerity Europe'
Lee Gregory, 'Resilience or resistance? Time banking in the age of austerity'
Date: 2014-Aug
A report for the equal rights watchdog examined the extent to which cumulative impact assessment techniques could be used to analyze the equalities impacts of tax, welfare, and spending policies. It said that modelling cumulative impact assessment by equality group was feasible, although there were a number of data constraints that should be considered. The report examined the impacts of recent tax and welfare reforms and said that: the impacts were more negative for families containing at least one disabled person, particularly a disabled child, and that these negative impacts were particularly strong for low-income families; that women were more negatively affected by the direct tax and welfare changes compared with men (although the results were sensitive to assumptions that had been made); that households containing younger adults benefited from changes to direct taxation; and that, in terms of public services, Black and Asian households lost out more than other groups. The report recommended that the Treasury's distributional impact analysis of tax and benefit changes should incorporate analysis by groups sharing different protected characteristics, and that the Treasury should consider its approach to equality impact assessment for the next Spending Review.
Source: Howard Reed and Jonathan Portes, Cumulative Impact Assessment: A Research Report by Landman Economics and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Research Report 94, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Aug
A report said that cuts in welfare spending in the United Kingdom were affecting people in work more than those on benefits, that pensioners were also affected by a substantial proportion of cuts, and that the introduction of universal credit would not improve the overall impact on working families.
Source: Benefit Cuts by Household Type: Who has been hit by the government's benefits cuts?, Trades Union Congress
Links: Report | TUC press release
Date: 2014-Aug
A report examined the difficulties experienced by new refugees to the United Kingdom when accessing mainstream benefits and the labour market. It said that, once refugee status was granted, moving from the system of asylum support to mainstream benefits and employment usually took much longer than the 28-day 'grace period' given by the government and that, in the meantime, many new refugees became destitute. The report made a range of recommendations, including: for the grace period to be extended to 40 days, starting from receipt of various initial application forms (which should all be distributed at the same time); for continuing asylum support regardless of time period to be piloted; and for better information on available help, better dissemination of policy on refugees, and better jobcentre staff training on the issue of refugee transition.
Source: Pauline Carnet, Catherine Blanchard, and Fabio Apollonio, The Move-On Period: An ordeal for new refugees, British Red Cross
Links: Report | Refugee Council press release
Date: 2014-Aug
A report examined the non-take up of income-related benefits and tax credits, and the impact of strategies and interventions designed to improve take-up rates. It said that non-take up appeared to be affected by the level and accuracy of knowledge about entitlement and eligibility rules, linked with perceptions of the costs and benefits of claiming, such that local, targeted initiatives to overcome the barriers, delivered by trusted and accessible organizations, were the most effective. The report said that improving take-up of means-tested benefits would make a major contribution to poverty reduction, and could contribute positively to improving other outcomes such as health, and employment participation. It suggested that measures to improve take-up should be central to anti-poverty strategies.
Source: Dan Finn and Jo Goodship, Take-up of benefits and poverty: an evidence and policy review, Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jul
A report provided early findings from the evaluation of the removal of the spare room subsidy from housing benefits claims (RSRS, commonly referred to as the 'bedroom tax'). It said that, at the time of the research, four out of five claimants affected by the RSRS were reported to be paying some or all of their shortfall, although half of these had not paid in full. Although to date there had been very few evictions solely as a result of the RSRS, the report said there was widespread concern about the impact of potential future evictions. It said that the demand for downsizing had been greater than anticipated, and had been difficult to meet in many areas. The evaluation was ongoing, with further fieldwork to be conducted later in 2014 and a final report due in 2015.
Source: Anna Clarke, Lewis Hill, Ben Marshall, Sarah Monk, Isabella Pereira, Eleanor Thomson, Christine Whitehead, and Peter Williams, Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy: Interim report, Research Report 882, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report | Summary | CPAG press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Jul
A report said that many people subject to benefit sanctions were forced into poverty and ill-health, and often had to rely on foodbanks. The report said that many were not told (or did not understand) the reason for the sanction, or how to appeal against it, and some benefits advisers reported sanctions being applied when claimants had good reasons for not meeting their requirements.
Source: Sanctioned: What benefit? A report on how sanctions are operating from the experience of Scottish Citizens Advice Bureaux, Citizens Advice Scotland
Links: Report | CAS press release
Date: 2014-Jul
A report examined the issues faced by ex-service personnel in accessing benefits during the transition to civilian life.
Source: Ashleigh Bird, The Benefits Battle: An examination of the challenges facing veterans when leaving the armed services, Citizens Advice Sterling
Links: Report | CAS press release
Date: 2014-Jul
Two reports considered options for evaluating the labour market impacts of universal credit: one related to the general roll out of UC; the other related to the 'live' initial roll out in the north west of England.
Source: Stuart Adam, Monica Costa Dias, and Barbara Sianesi, Evaluating the Labour Market Impacts of Universal Credit: A feasibility study, Ad-hoc Research Report 6, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report
Source: Evaluating the Impact of Universal Credit on the Labour Market in Live Service and the North West Expansion, Ad-hoc Research Report 7, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jul
A report examined the cumulative impact of welfare reform on benefit claimants in Wales, based on evidence from Citizens Advice Bureaux and qualitative research on the 'lived experience' of the recent benefit changes. The report said that bureaux found benefits and tax credit-related issues to be the largest problem area for which clients sought help, accounting for over two-fifths (42 per cent) of all problems in Wales during 2013-14 (over 141,500 problems). Issues relating to employment and support allowance were most common, many clients sought help with appeals or work capability assessments, and there had been notable increases in personal independence payment issues, the under-occupancy penalty (commonly known as the 'bedroom tax'), and jobseeker's allowance sanctions. For many participants in the research, benefit changes had resulted in a reduction in their household income, with associated impacts on their standard of living and frequent reports of people going without basic essentials in order make rent payments or afford other essential household bills. Most participants had been affected by the under-occupancy penalty. Some of those seeking work reported difficulties such as the cost of childcare, difficulties in affording transport or clothes for job interviews, or the lack of internet access at home. Many people were in debt and the report raised concerns about the impact of hardship on people's mental and physical health. The report made a wide range of recommendations for the government, local authorities, social housing providers, and for health organizations.
Source: Lindsey Kearton and Jacqueline Aneen Campbell, One Day at a Time: Examining the cumulative impact of welfare reform on benefit claimants in Wales, Citizens Advice Cymru
Links: Report | Summary | CAS press release | WLGA press release
Date: 2014-Jul
A report examined findings from a research project that explored the importance and use of carer's allowance (CA), the relationship of carers with the labour market, and potential impacts of possible reform of the allowance. It said that, for some carers, CA was an important part of household income, supporting both everyday expenditure and the additional costs incurred. The majority of carers did not see CA as separate from any other source of household income, and it had a high symbolic value for carers. The relationship between caring and the labour market was found to be varied and often complex and a large group of carers would like to have paid work, but could not see how that would be possible in the near future.
Source: Gillian Parker, Caroline Glendinning, Anne Corden, Annie Irvine, and Sue Clarke, Household Finances of Carer's Allowance Recipients, Research Report 875, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jul
A report said that universal credit would have a net positive impact on poverty, but the impact would vary by household type and income level, some households would lose entitlements, and some households would need transitional support. The report made recommendations for short, medium, and long-term reforms.
Source: Deven Ghelani and Lisa Stidle, Universal Credit: Towards an effective poverty reduction strategy, Policy in Practice
Links: Report | Policy in Practice press release
Date: 2014-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the Scottish Government had not properly costed its post-independence proposals for public and private pensions, and that, in the event of a vote in favour of independence, there was doubt over whether a new benefits system could be set up by the proposed implementation deadline of 2018.
Source: The Referendum on Separation for Scotland: Implications for pensions and benefits, First Report (Session 2014–15), HC 498, House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Committee press release
Date: 2014-Jul
A series of reports provided findings to date from the evaluation of the Direct Payment Demonstration Projects (DPDPs) that were established in six local authority areas in 2012 to test the direct payment of housing benefit to tenants living in social housing, ahead of the switch to universal credit. The reports examined: the main findings from all the strands of research and analysis at the 12 month stage; rent 'underpayment' in DPDP; a 12 months' rent account analysis exercise; and a stage 2 survey of tenants. A fifth report provided an overview of the four main reports. Findings included: that arrears had initially risen following introduction of direct payments, but payment rates had improved over the 12 months (although arrears had not been cleared); payment patterns were more complex than simply 'payers' and 'non-payers', such that it was difficult to forecast accurately who would and would not manage on direct payments (this was said to be a key point on which further learning was needed); underpayment was more frequent than non-payment; local relationships between the housing benefit administrator (local authorities) and social housing landlords were key to the success of DPDP (and this relationship would needed to be replicated between the Department for Work and Pensions and landlords once universal credit took over responsibility for housing-related payments, requiring some form of data sharing); and that most DPDP tenants had not received support or advice regarding the switch to direct payments (for a variety of reasons), but there was evidence to suggest that support did benefit those who had received it.
Source: Paul Hickman, Kesia Reeve, and Stephen Green, Direct Payment Demonstration Projects: 12 months in extended learning report, Research Report 876, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report
Source: Paul Hickman, Kesia Reeve, Ian Wilson, Stephen Green, and Peter Kemp, Direct Payment Demonstration Projects: Rent underpayment, Research Report 877, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report
Source: Peter Kemp, Direct Payment Demonstration Projects: Report from the stage 2 survey of tenants, Research Report 878, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report
Source: Kesia Reeve, Ian Wilson, Paul Hickman, and Chris Dayson, Direct Payment Demonstration Projects: Key findings of the 12-months' rent account analysis exercise, Research Report 879, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report
Source: Paul Hickman, Kesia Reeve, Ian Wilson, Stephen Green, Chris Dayson, and Peter Kemp, Direct Payment Demonstration Projects: 12 month stage reports, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jul
A report provided the findings from an independent review of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) sanctions for claimants who failed to take part in mandatory back to work schemes. The report said that 90 per cent of sanctions referrals came from the Work Programme and, of all cases referred, 28.7 per cent were upheld as 'sanction applied' (finding that the claimant had not complied with the requirements they had agreed to). However, of those decisions that were subsequently reviewed, between 43 per cent and 53 per cent (depending on the programme) had the decision to apply a sanction overturned. The report raised particular concern about claimants' understanding of the sanctioning processes, and lack of knowledge of hardship payments, as well as their understanding of the conditionality attached to their receipt of JSA. It made recommendations for improving: the letters sent to claimants, and broader communications; claimants' understanding of what they were required to do; and communication and understanding of the sanctions process. The government published its response to the review, accepting all of the recommendations.
Source: Matthew Oakley, Independent Review of the Operation of Jobseeker's Allowance Sanctions Validated by the Jobseekers Act 2013, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report | Government response | Ministerial statement | DWP press release | CPAG press release | Gingerbread press release | Guardian report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Jul
A think-tank report examined welfare reform under the United Kingdom Coalition government and discussed the next steps in the reform process, how the system could learn better from people's experiences in seeking work, how it could do more to help them overcome the challenges, and how it could help to prevent those challenges from arising. The report said that there was a particular need to address youth unemployment.
Source: The Journey to Work: Welfare reform for the next Parliament, Centre for Social Justice
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jun
A report by a committee of MSPs appended a report from commissioned research on the local impact of welfare reform. The report said that, when the reforms came into full effect they would remove over £1.6 billion a year from the Scottish economy, equivalent to around £460 a year per adult of working age and broadly on a par with the Great Britain average. However, the report said this was spread unevenly between areas and there was a clear relationship between the extent of deprivation and the scale of the financial loss, with the most deprived wards most affected. The report said that some households and individuals were affected by several different elements of the reforms.
Source: Report on Local Impact of Welfare Reform, 5th Report 2014, SP Paper 563, Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee
Links: Report | Sheffield Hallam University press release
Date: 2014-Jun
A report by a committee of MSPs said that there were many weaknesses in the United Kingdom benefits sanctions regime and in its application, leading to a climate of fear around jobcentres. The committee raised particular concerns about the way in which sanctions were applied, and made a range of recommendations, including: for greater warning about the consequence of sanctions, with a written warning at first breach; for clearer communications about the use of sanctions, and about the expectations on claimants; for clearer identification on government systems of clients' disabilities, and the provision of appropriate support; and for a fundamental and public review of the purpose of the sanctions regime.
Source: Interim Report on the New Benefit Sanctions Regime: Tough love or tough luck?, 4th Report 2014, SP Paper 552, Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Parliament press release | BBC report
Date: 2014-Jun
A report examined how welfare reforms introduced in 2012 were affecting service demand and delivery of third sector social care and support services in Scotland, including the impact on staff roles, welfare and well-being, and the impact on staff training needs.
Source: Gregory White, The Impact of Welfare Reform on Third Sector Care and Support Services in Scotland, Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services/Coalition of Care and Support Providers
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jun
A report examined the impacts of welfare reform on families in London, focusing on four key policy changes: the introduction of caps to the local housing allowance; the benefit cap; the under-occupation penalty (commonly referred to as the 'bedroom tax'); and the replacement of council tax benefit with local council tax reduction schemes. Housing costs, housing supply, childcare costs, and low pay were said to be key concerns, and the report made a range of policy recommendations.
Source: Megan Jarvie, Families on the Brink: Welfare reform in London, Child Poverty Action Group
Links: Report | CPAG press release | Barnardos press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Jun
A report said that social landlords in Scotland were finding it increasingly difficult to support tenants and to prevent and alleviate homelessness, owing to the cumulative impact of the spare room subsidy (commonly referred to as the 'bedroom tax'), benefit sanctions, and problems accessing financial assistance at times of crisis. The report noted a range of issues, including: concerns regarding the lack of basic necessities in some households and the lack of, or timeliness of, assistance to meet those needs; that the 'bedroom tax' was increasing requests for transfers and reducing the number of smaller properties available to homeless households; and that lets to homeless households in larger properties had declined due to the 'bedroom tax'. It called for improvements in the operation of the Scottish Welfare Fund.
Source: Welfare Reform: The impact on homelessness and tenancy sustainment for Scottish housing associations, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
Links: Report | SFHA press release
Date: 2014-Jun
A report examined how the changes to benefits systems during the economic crisis in Europe had affected children. It said that the crisis had deeply affected public spending, and that the percentage of children living in poverty or social exclusion had risen in several member states during the crisis, in part due to changes in the system of social protection, but also owing to families' increased risk of unemployment and income reduction. It said that in spite of some deterioration of child and family policies and services, recent reforms and measures across member states aimed to protect vulnerable families, including (according to an OECD report) policies in the United Kingdom.
Source: Barbara Janta and Marie-Louise Henham, Social Protection During the Economic Crisis: How do changes to benefits systems affect children?, RR-555, DG Employment, European Union
Links: Report | European Union press release
Date: 2014-Jun
A report examined data from six housing associations in central/southern England relating to the impact of the reduction of the spare room subsidy (commonly referred to as the 'bedroom tax'). It said that, although some tenants had moved or found work to avoid the bedroom tax, most (70 per cent) remained affected by the policy. Issues raised in the report included: that a shortage of smaller homes prevented people from downsizing; that higher demand for smaller properties meant that, in some areas, housing associations let larger houses to families who might still under-occupy them but who were not in receipt of housing benefit; that there appeared to be inconsistency in the assessment of entitlement for discretionary housing payments; and that the numbers of tenants with rent arrears (42.5 per cent) indicated that many were struggling financially. The report was the third in a series of reports on the impact of the policy.
Source: Here and There: One year on – the bedroom tax hits home, Grand Union Housing Group
Links: Report | First report | Second report | Grand Union press release
Date: 2014-May
A report by a committee of MPs said that there had been no statistically significant change in the overall levels of benefit fraud and error since 2005/06 and there were uncertainties around the Department for Work and Pensions' existing capability to administer the housing element of universal credit without increased risks of fraud and error. The committee said that the government would need to have a fully developed and tested system in place prior to the national implementation of universal credit, and would need now to build on the successful use of real-time information on earnings and other innovative measures, aligned with the known risk factors of each benefit, if fraud and error was to be reduced further. The report said that the government should publish summaries of estimated levels of fraud and error separately, to reduce the risk of confusion or conflation of statistics in media reporting and public perceptions of benefit fraud.
Source: Fraud and Error in the Benefits System, Sixth Report (Session 2013–14), HC 1082, House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Committee press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-May
A paper examined the impacts of United Kingdom welfare reforms on refugee families living in London. It said that the reforms did not take into account the needs of refugee families and that systematic failures from public services were leaving many new refugee families without, or with insufficient, support to meet their basic living needs. It said that the reforms also affected health, including increased levels of distress and anxiety, severe depression, and suicidal thoughts.
Source: Indira Kartallozi, 21st Century London Outcasts: Welfare reforms and their impacts on refugee families living in London, Centre for Social Justice and Change, University of East London
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-May
A report provided the findings from a survey of social housing tenants regarding the impact of the social sector size criteria (commonly referred to as the 'bedroom tax'). The respondents were all general needs tenants of working age. The report said that: nearly one-third (32 per cent) of people affected by the bedroom tax said they had cut back on food; more than one-quarter (26 per cent) had reduced spending on heating; almost half (46 per cent) of those affected had needed to borrow money to help pay their rent since the introduction of the measure; and there were wide concerns about future ability to pay rent and other bills, and even about potential eviction. Of those affected, one in five respondents said that they were currently looking to move home.
Source: National Housing Federation, One Year On: The impact of welfare reforms on housing association tenants, Ipsos MORI
Links: Report | Associated data | NHF press release
Date: 2014-May
The Scottish Government published two reports on the impact of the United Kingdom Government's welfare reforms on people in Scotland. The tracking study report recommendations included: for improvements in benefit administration; for the level of benefits, and the need for crisis intervention, to be considered; for other areas of policy, and specific circumstances such as lone parenthood, to be considered in light of welfare reforms; and for greater action to counter stigmatizing messages from the media about welfare claimants.
Source: Billie Lister, Helen Graham, Valerie Egdell, Ronald McQuaid, and Robert Raeside, The Impact of Welfare Reform in Scotland Tracking Study: Interim report to the Scottish Government on 1st Sweep of interviews, Scottish Government
Source: Franca MacLeod and Zak Keene, Financial Impacts of Welfare Reform – Illustrative Working Age Case Studies, Scottish Government
Date: 2014-May
The official advisory body on social security began consultation on proposals to amend the income-related benefits regulations and other social security regulations, which would have the effect of increasing the number of 'waiting days' served at the start of a new claim to jobseeker's allowance, and employment and support allowance. Under the proposals, the waiting time would increase from the existing level of three days to seven. The consultation would close on 13 June 2014.
Source: Social Security Advisory Committee
Links: Papers | SSAC press release
Date: 2014-May
A paper (by an official advisory body) discussed the cumulative impact assessment of the government's welfare reforms. It presented a descriptive overview of the changes and discussed some of the existing research and commentary on their impact. It said that some, largely negative, overall assessments of impact already existed, in particular for impacts across the income distribution or geographic areas, but that these focused on direct and immediate effects of reforms and did not assess any potentially positive effects of universal credit. The report said that, while some case study evidence existed, it did not yet reveal the full range of impacts. The report concluded that many of the welfare reforms were designed to have longer-term positive impacts, including changes in claimant behaviour, and that it was too soon to assess the consequential impact of work incentives on claimant behaviour. Recommendations were made to the government for: further secondary analysis to examine the impact of reform on vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities; case studies, based on model households, to examine the cumulative impact of reforms; the extension of the evaluation of universal credit, to include the impact of the wider programme of reform; and for specific reconsideration of the cumulative impact on vulnerable claimant groups, in light of this further analysis.
Source: The Cumulative Impact of Welfare Reform: A commentary, Occasional Paper 12, Social Security Advisory Committee
Links: Paper | Summary | SSAC press release
Date: 2014-May
A report examined how housing associations in England had responded to changes in the provision and administration of benefits since April 2013. Building on work outlined in an earlier report, it said that strategic responses had included measures such as amending policies and practices, reviewing development plans, and mobilizing staff from across different departments. It said that, overall, associations thought they and their tenants were managing the impacts effectively, particularly the size criteria (bedroom tax) and the benefit cap, but the imposition of jobseekers allowance sanctions was a rising issue and the implementation and administration of discretionary housing payments was inconsistent. Tenants' responses to the size criteria had mostly been to remain in their homes and pay the increased proportion of rent, but finding full-time work was reported to be difficult. The impact on associations was greatest for those with concentrations of larger homes in lower demand areas. Associations thought they would be able to manage existing arrears levels if no further problems arose. However, they reported that some tenants were faced with an accumulation of changes including the bedroom tax, the changes in council tax benefit, and rising utility costs. The roll out of universal credit and, in particular, direct payments to tenants was thought to be likely to increase difficulties for landlords and tenants.
Source: Peter Williams, Anna Clarke, and Christine Whitehead, Housing Associations And Welfare Reform: Facing up to the realities, Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research (University of Cambridge)
Links: Report | Stage 1 report
Date: 2014-May
A new book examined the impact of austerity on people in the United Kingdom, based on research undertaken during 2012 and 2013 that explored the lived reality of changes in the welfare state.
Source: Mary O'Hara, Austerity Bites: A journey to the sharp end of cuts in the UK, Policy Press
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2014-May
A report examined the operation of the Scottish Welfare Fund, which was put in place in Scotland as an interim measure when the United Kingdom government terminated the discretionary social fund. The Scottish Welfare Fund consisted of two elements: crisis grants to alleviate periods of disaster or crisis and alleviate risk to the health or safety of the applicant or their family; and community care grants to support independent living among key groups, or to help families in need of essential household items. The report said that the majority of interviewed applicants were, overall, satisfied with the operation of the interim scheme, but made a range of recommendations, including for the profile of the scheme to be raised, and for increasing the speed of decision making for crisis grants.
Source: Filip Sosenko, Mandy Littlewood, Ailsa Strathie, and Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Review of the Scottish Welfare Fund Interim Scheme – Final, Scottish Government
Date: 2014-May
A report examined the impacts of the United Kingdom Government's welfare reforms on lone parents moving into work, based on research in Glasgow, a city in Scotland.
Source: Helen Graham and Ronald McQuaid, Exploring the Impacts of the UK Government's Welfare Reforms on Lone Parents Moving into Work, Employment Research Institute/Edinburgh Napier University/University of Stirling
Links: Report | Literature review
Date: 2014-May
A report examined the experiences in the United Kingdom of newly-granted refugees during their first year and, in particular, their needs and experiences during the initial 28 day grace period before their asylum support (accommodation and cash payments) ceased. It said that people experienced difficulties in finding alternative accommodation within this 28 day timescale, causing cases of homelessness (including street homelessness). It said that some refugees reported that they did not have the identity documents and immigration status evidence required to access services, suffered delays in benefits claims, found it difficult to find work, or, in some areas, could not access support services. The report made a range of recommendations, including that the Home Office should continue to support refugees until they had full access to other means of support.
Source: Lisa Doyle, 28 Days Later: Experiences of new refugees in the UK, Refugee Council
Links: Report | Refugee Council press release
Date: 2014-May
A report examined the cumulative impact of welfare reforms over the preceding year on residents living in Newham, east London, exploring the impact on finances, health and well-being, and families, as well as examining people's responses and the available information and support provided to help people manage the period of transition. It said that the cumulative financial impact, poor communication regarding the changes, and a lack of compassion in implementation had led to the erosion of people's resilience and their ability to make important decisions. The report called for the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus, and local authorities to improve their communication of change, provide better transitional support, and provide for the use of discretion. It recommended that local authorities should conduct their own impact assessments on future change, and that change should be co-ordinated through a single agency that could assess the impact on individuals and ensure that their needs for transitional support were met.
Source: Ellie Roberts and Luke Price, Tipping the Balance? A qualitative study on the cumulative impacts of welfare reform in the London Borough of Newham, Community Links
Links: Report | Community Links press release
Date: 2014-Apr
A report examined the ways in which women in Scotland would be affected by welfare reform measures. It said that 74 per cent of benefit cuts had been taken from women's incomes, and this was explained by women's pre-existing inequality. The report considered the impact of reforms across policy areas, including welfare benefits, work, and domestic violence, and it considered the cross-cutting impact of multiple forms of disadvantage. It made a range of recommendations to the Scottish government, and called for the development of a broad action plan to mitigate the impacts of reform on women.
Source: Engender, Close the Gap, Scottish Women's Aid, Scottish Women's Convention, Zero Tolerance, and Scottish Refugee Council, Gender and 'Welfare Reform' in Scotland: A joint position paper, Engender
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Apr
The High Court (Administrative Court) ruled that the decision by the Home Secretary not to increase the rate of asylum support should now be reconsidered, having been based on errors and omissions.
Source: Refugee Action, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department, High Court (Administrative Court) 9 April 2014
Links: Judgement | Childrens Society press release | Refugee Action press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Apr
A report said that that under universal credit many working parents would not gain financially (and might be worse off) if they increased their hours of work, owing to additional costs, reduced financial support, having to pay for school meals, and their contribution to childcare costs. The report proposed a range of measures, including that: all children in households receiving universal credit should qualify for free school meals; that the childcare subsidy should be increased to 90 per cent of costs; that a second earner in a household be able to earn an additional £50 before their income from universal credit was reduced; and an increase in overall funding in universal credit for disabled people. It proposed increasing the benefit taper (the amount of benefit reduced per £1 earned) from 65 per cent to 70 per cent, to help fund the proposed changes.
Source: Pop Goes the Payslip: Making universal credit work for families, Citizens Advice
Links: Report | Summary | Citizens Advice press release
Date: 2014-Apr
A report provided the baseline findings from a longitudinal study of the emerging consequences of benefit changes on working age social housing tenants in the south west of England. It said that tenants viewed the welfare reforms as a great uncertainty that could disturb their carefully managed, but limited, household budgets. The research had found that reforms led to cuts in income for almost half of the tenants interviewed, and were contributing to the growth of debt and rent arrears. Practical responses to financial pressures, included: reducing expenditure on food, utilities, and other household items; using savings; selling personal items; and asking family members for help. Tenants reported many difficulties in finding work, and the report said there was a general sense that the removal of the spare room subsidy (commonly referred to as the 'bedroom tax') was unfair. The report outlined some initial lessons for housing associations, government, and society. A second round of follow-up interviews was scheduled for April 2014.
Source: Anne Power, Bert Provan, and Eileen Herden, Work and Welfare Reform: Impacts in the South West, CASEreport 81, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (London School of Economics)
Links: Report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Mar
A series of related short reports examined young people's experiences of the welfare system in England. The reports examined the support provided by Jobcentre Plus, young people's views on benefit sanctions, and their views on the existing and ongoing welfare reforms, in particular how they felt the introduction of universal credit would affect them.
Source 1: Processed and Punished: An insight into vulnerable young people's perspectives on the current welfare system and Jobcentre Plus, Young Men's Christian Association
Links: Report | YMCA press release
Source 2: Signed On and Sanctioned: An insight into vulnerable young people's perspectives on the benefit sanctions, Young Men's Christian Association
Links: Report | YMCA press release
Source 3: Uninformed and Underprepared: An insight into vulnerable young people's perspectives on the planned reforms to the welfare system and the introduction of Universal Credit, Young Men's Christian Association
Links: Report | YMCA press release
Date: 2014-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government should: monitor the impact of limiting the up-rating of benefits, particularly in light of the rate of inflation; improve its assessment of personal independence payment claims, and clear the backlog; provide local authorities with sufficient funding to enable them to continue their local welfare support schemes beyond April 2015; ensure the open market provision of annuity schemes was a realistic option for all those who purchased annuities; monitor the impact of charging for the new statutory child support scheme; provide greater clarity on the schemes for voluntary child support arrangements and clarify how it proposed to deal with historic arrears; and be more objective in its use of official statistics about benefits, and avoid fuelling negative views about benefits recipients through their accompanying commentaries.
Source: Monitoring the performance of the Department for Work and Pensions in 2012-13, Third Report (Session 2013–14), HC 1153, House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Committee press release | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Mar
An article examined the impact on low-income households of the switch to monthly benefit payments, after the introduction of universal credit. It said that, for some claimants, monthly payments could make money management easier, but for those households actively budgeting on a weekly or fortnightly basis, the change might undermine successful strategies.
Source: Yvette Hartfree, 'Universal credit: the impact of monthly payments on low income households', Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Volume 22 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that a significant number of local council tax support schemes did not meet all of the Department for Communities and Local Government's objectives, and particularly the objective of protecting vulnerable people. It said that the Department did not fully understand the impacts of localizing council tax support and the broader welfare reforms on the demand for local services, and recommended that the Department should now carry out an assessment. It said that some local authorities had introduced council tax support schemes in a way that disincentivized work. The committee also raised concerns at the lack of planning for data sharing between universal credit and council tax support schemes.
Source: Council Tax Support, Forty-eighth Report (Session 2013–14), HC 943, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Committee press release | Citizens Advice press release | BBC report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Mar
An article examined the conditionality within universal credit, a new benefit that would replace a range of existing means-tested working age benefits in the United Kingdom by around 2017. It said that the changes would expand and intensify conditionality based on individual behaviour, and that universal credit indicated the 'ubiquity of conditionality' within social citizenship in the United Kingdom.
Source: Peter Dwyer and Sharon Wright, 'Universal credit, ubiquitous conditionality and its implications for social citizenship', Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Volume 22 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Mar
A think-tank report called for fairer sanctions for non-compliance with the conditions attached to receipt of job seekers allowance in the United Kingdom. It estimated that nearly 5,600 claimants per month lost payment of benefits as a result of receiving a first 'lower tier' sanction violation which was then later overturned. The report recommended that first time sanctions should result in benefits being paid on a payment card for the duration of the sanction, which would need to be collected from the Jobcentre. It also recommended more punitive sanctions for those repeatedly breaching conditionality, and greater support for legitimate appeals.
Source: Guy Miscampbell, Smarter Sanctions: Sorting out the system, Policy Exchange
Links: Report | Policy Exchange press release
Date: 2014-Mar
The coalition government presented its 2014 Budget statement. National income growth forecasts had been revised upwards from 2.4 per cent to 2.7 per cent in 2014 and from 2.2 per cent to 2.3 per cent in 2015, with forecasts of 2.6 per cent in 2016, 2.6 per cent in 2017 and 2.5 per cent in 2018. The public sector net debt had been revised downwards, to peak at 78.7 per cent of national income in 2015-16 before falling year on year to 2018-19. The main Budget measures included:
• Government departments required to find year on year efficiency savings, with cuts of £119 billion in 2015-16;
• Welfare cap set at £119.5 billion for 2015-16 with year on year increases to 2018-19 (to be included in the Charter for Budget Responsibility);
• Expansion of the Troubled Families programme in 2014-15;
• Increase in childcare costs cap to £10,000 per annum per child, against which up to 20 per cent of costs could be claimed by parents, or 85 per cent if parents paid income tax and were on universal credit (this had been previously announced, but was confirmed in the Budget);
Additional early years premium funding for schools (this had been previously announced, but was confirmed in the Budget);
• Increase in personal tax allowance to £10,500 from 2015 and increase in National Minimum Wage to £6.50 in October 2014;
New ISA provisions, with an increase in the annual limit to £15,000; new government savings bonds for over 65s; increased limits for Premium Savings Bonds; proposed removal of the requirement for defined contribution pension funds to be converted to annuities; and changes to taxation of pensions (a consultation paper on pensions was published alongside the Budget);
• Doubling of the annual investment allowance for companies, changes to export funding, and additional funding for apprenticeships;
• Energy-related measures, including: changes to the carbon price support cap; support for carbon capture and storage, oil, and gas initiatives; and compensation for energy costs for energy intensive industries;
• Infrastructure measures, including: funding for repairs to flood defences and roads; government guarantee for the Mersey Gateway Bridge; funding via a gain share mechanism for Greater Cambridge transport and infrastructure proposals; and grants for cathedral repairs; and
Housing measures, including: extension of the Help to Buy equity loan scheme to March 2020; loans for smaller developers and a repayable funding scheme for self-build; loan funding for regeneration of large housing estates; and a new garden city at Ebbsfleet, Kent (this had been previously announced, but was confirmed in the Budget).
Source: Budget 2014, HC 1104, HM Treasury, TSO
Links related to Budget: Report | Fiscal outlook | Overview of taxation measures | Speech | Pensions consultation | HMT press release 1 | HM Treasury press release 2 | DCLG press release | Northern Ireland Office press release | Scotland Office press release | Wales Office press release | Welsh Government press release | 4Children press release | Age UK press release | Action for Children press release | Barnardos press release | BCC press release | Childrens Society press release | CPAG press release | CPAG Scotland press release | CIH press release | Fawcett Society press release | Gingerbread press release | IEA press release | IFS analysis | LGA press release 1 | LGA press release 2 | LGA press release 3 | Oxfam press release | Plaid Cymru press release | PwC press release | RCGP press release | Unite press release | BBC report 1 | BBC report 2 | Guardian report 1 | Guardian report 2 | Guardian report 3 | Inside Housing report | Inside Housing report 2 | New Statesman report | Telegraph report
Links related to Ebbsfleet announcement: LGA press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report 1 | Inside Housing report 2 | Inside Housing report 3 | Telegraph report
Links related to childcare and pupil premium announcements: Government consultation response | Written ministerial statement | Barnardos press release | Citizens Advice press release | CBI press release | Gingerbread press release | IFS comment | JRF press release | NCT press release | BBC report | Guardian report | New Statesman report | Telegraph report
Date: 2014-Mar
The third report was published from a research project tracking the impact of welfare reform across a cohort of social housing tenants in the north of England. Key findings included: retained participants (households that had remained in the study from previous stages) had borrowed further money since October 2013, averaging an increase in debt of £52 each week; 77 per cent of households were in debt and the average debt had increased by 54 per cent since the previous report (for retained participants the increase was 28 per cent); 18.5 per cent of income was spent on fuel costs, compared with the national average of 5.1 per cent; over two thirds spent less than £40 per week on food; 60 per cent of active job-seekers had applied for between 20 and 40 jobs in the previous three months but 71 per cent were not offered an interview; and participants expressed concern about media representation of people on benefits. The study was ongoing and the fourth report would be due in June/July 2014.
Source: Real Life Reform: Report 3, Real Life Reform
Links: Report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Mar
A report provided the results of a survey of housing associations on the early impacts of the introduction of the social sector size criteria (also known as the 'bedroom tax'), the benefit cap, and preparations for universal credit. The report said that 58 per cent of housing associations had been affected by the size criteria either a 'great deal' or a 'fair amount', but this varied by region. It said that an average of 9 per cent of general needs tenancies were affected by the size criteria and 17 per cent of affected tenancies housed someone with a disability. The report said that two-thirds of tenants affected were currently in arrears and, of these, three-quarters had seen their arrears increase since 1st April 2013. Over half (53 per cent) of associations reported an increased difficulty in rent collection because of the size criteria and 49 per cent had seen an increase in tenants looking to downsize to a smaller home. The report noted that one-third of associations with planned development programmes had either changed, or planned to change, their programme to give greater prominence to one and two bedroom properties. The survey also found that associations had a range of concerns for tenants as a result of the introduction of universal credit.
Source: Impact of Welfare Reforms on Housing Associations: Early effects and responses by landlords and tenants, Ipsos MORI
Links: Report | Summary | NHF press release | CAB press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the impact of the benefit cap on children in England, based on a freedom of information request to all English local authorities. It said that households with children were disproportionately affected, and raised particular concerns about the likely impact of the cap on vulnerable children, including those in temporary accommodation and 'children in need'. The report said that neither local nor national government knew how many vulnerable children were affected, that there was a lack of discussion around how best to identify them, and that increased numbers of children and families would be moved from temporary accommodation and away from their home areas as a result of the cap. The report called on local and national government to: identify and assist families with vulnerable children; share information between housing and children's services departments; and remove the cap for families in temporary accommodation.
Source: Rebecca Rennison, Children and the Benefit Cap, Action for Children
Links: Report | Action for Children press release
Date: 2014-Feb
A report by a committee of MSPs said that the under-occupancy charge (also known as the 'spare room subsidy' and the 'bedroom tax') was inhumane, was having a harmful effect on people's lives, and might breach tenants' human rights. It welcomed the additional funding provided by the Scottish government for discretionary housing payments, and appealed to them to explore further ways to mitigate the impact in the short term. It recommended that the United Kingdom government should abolish the under-occupancy charge, or give the required powers to the Scottish parliament.
Source: Interim Report on the 'Bedroom Tax', 1st Report 2014, SP Paper 459, Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Parliament press release
Date: 2014-Feb
A special issue of a journal examined the interrelationships between housing, health, and social care, drawing on research and practice.
Source: Journal of Integrated Care, Volume 22 Number 1
Links: Table of contents
Notes: Articles included:
Adrian Phillips and Andy Baker, 'Housing and health – a public health perspective'
Liz Blackender and Jo Prestidge, 'Pan London personalised budgets for rough sleepers'
Diane Lea, 'Putting housing at the heart of health reforms'
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the impact of the United Kingdom government's welfare reforms in local authority areas in Wales, updating and extending earlier work on the effects at the household and individual level. It said that the changes were estimated to reduce annual benefit and tax credit entitlements in 2015-16 by around £900 million. Around half of this loss was said to be due to the way benefits and tax credits would be uprated. Other large losses were attributed to personal independence payments and the time limiting of employment and support allowance. Neath Port Talbot, Blaenau Gwent, and Merthyr Tydfil were the areas estimated to be hardest hit by the reforms. The findings would inform policy, and ongoing research would aim to quantify the distributional impact up to and including the 2014 budget.
Source: Analysing the Impact of the UK Government's Welfare Reforms in Wales – Stage 3 Analysis Part 2: Impacts in local authority areas, Welsh Government
Links: Report | Summary | Earlier reports | Welsh Government press release
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the impact of welfare reforms on local government and housing associations in England, and the early indicators regarding the effectiveness and future challenges of the changes. It said that organizations had been proactive in addressing the impact, although some local authorities had not looked at the full range of available options and there was scope for more partnership working. The report said the full impact of the reforms was yet to be felt but there were early signs for concern, such as rising rent and council tax arrears and increasing homelessness. The effect of removing the spare room subsidy was not yet clear.
Source: Reaping the Benefits? First impressions of the impact of welfare reform, Grant Thornton
Links: Report | Grant Thornton press release
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the effect of proposed reforms involving the withdrawal of attendance allowance and disability living allowance. Despite the fact that the allowances were not means-tested, withdrawal would affect mainly low-income people, whose losses could be mitigated if the severe disability premium were retained at its existing or a higher level. The article also said that the use of inappropriate income definitions in official reports had overstated recipients' capacity to absorb the loss of these benefits.
Source: Ruth Hancock and Stephen Pudney, 'Assessing the distributional impact of reforms to disability benefits for older people in the UK: implications of alternative measures of income and disability costs', Ageing and Society, Volume 34 Issue 2 publication
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the council tax support schemes that local authorities in England adopted following abolition of council tax benefit. It discussed authorities' responses, the impact on households, and evidence from Citizens Advice data on the early impacts.
Source: Stuart Adam, James Browne, William Jeffs, and Robert Joyce, Council Tax Support Schemes in England: What did local authorities choose, and with what effects?, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Report | IFS press release | Citizens Advice press release
Date: 2014-Jan
A paper examined the relationship between universal approaches, child benefits and child poverty reduction in European countries. The study used an indicator of targeting that aimed to capture the design, rather than the outcomes, of child benefit systems. The paper said that targeted approaches were found to be associated with higher levels of child poverty reduction, conditional on the direction of targeting and the characteristics of the benefit system.
Source: Wim Van Lancker and Natascha Van Mechelen, Universalism Under Siege? Exploring the association between targeting, child benefits and child poverty across 26 countries, Working Paper 14/01, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy (University of Antwerp)
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Jan
An article examined unemployment compensation programmes – unemployment insurance/assistance programmes and redundancy pay schemes – of welfare state/occupational welfare regimes in developed (OECD) countries. Southern European countries had compensation systems that were comparable in strength to those in continental-corporatist countries, if occupational welfare programmes – notably redundancy pay – were considered alongside welfare state programmes for unemployment protection.
Source: Umut Riza Ozkan, 'Comparing formal unemployment compensation systems in 15 OECD countries', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 48 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan
A new book examined the links between poverty, labour market participation, and the distributive capacity of welfare states within the working age population in the European Union, before the financial crisis.
Source: Bea Cantillon and Frank Vandenbroucke, Reconciling Work and Poverty Reduction: How successful are European welfare states?, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jan
An article examined the evolution of the child benefit packages in the United Kingdom and Japan since 1992. In both countries, state support for families with children was in disarray. Japan had recently introduced a universal child benefit: but its life had been short-lived, mainly because of the tsunami and financial problems as well as political conflict over the principles. The UK coalition government, as part of its deficit reduction strategy, had frozen child benefit for three years and taken it back from higher-rate tax payers; all other working-age family benefits were being cut in real terms.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw and Michihiko Tokoro, 'Child benefit packages in the United Kingdom and Japan', Social Policy and Society, Volume 13 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan