It seems that the more I listen to the debate (or is it a slanging match?) on welfare reform the more I despair! Seldom in my working life can I remember another time when politicians, the media and general public have had so many opinions about “deserving and undeserving” poor, morals and ethics, and the balance between individual and society’s rights.
Over this past week we have seen the spectacle of senior Government ministers (even the PM!) making political capital out of a human tragedy of unimaginable proportions – suggesting that they ‘agree’ with the Daily Mail newspaper’s provocative headline linking the Philpott children’s murders with the state of Welfare in the UK.
It appears that the reasons for welfare reform vary with the weather, day and time! Depending on which way the wind is blowing, it is driven by ‘fiscal austerity’, instilling the ‘work ethic’ or ‘political beliefs.’ The imperative to ‘reform’ welfare can appear to be a party political choice with little basis or grounding in accurate statistics, and little relation to facts. To be frank these are all actually immaterial to the people ‘caught in the cross-fire’ and to organisations ‘at the front line’ which will have to deal with the impacts.
It is so easy to make sweeping policy statements without recognising the impact. Certainly, you can control spend by changing eligibility criteria, but what about the unintended consequences? The ‘bedroom tax’ has received considerable media attention, but I don’t see any evidence that people understand this money goes to landlords, not to the claimants. In the same way, Government Ministers trot out ‘the party line’ mixing up people on benefits with people who don’t work (possibly as ‘a lifestyle choice.’) Where is the consideration of people who are ‘the working poor?’ Do people not understand that in-work benefits simply let some employers get away with ‘poverty pay?’
So it’s a fraught debate. How do we, as the Third Sector inject some sense into the dialogue? How can we ensure that the debate takes place in the context of knowledge and understanding rather than in the hothouse of conjecture and half-knowns?
If you want to be part of a grown up discussion, informed by facts, illuminated by expert knowledge, then come to our ThinkSpace event on Thursday 18th April at 9.30am – Welfare Reform: ‘A Right State?’ in the Calton Centre, 121 Montgomery Street, Edinburgh EH7 5EP.
Please register by emailing Dianne Morrison by Friday 12 April. All places will be confirmed by Tuesday 16 April.
If you tweet please consider using the hashtags #WelfareReform and #ARightState
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