Children’s minister warns welfare reforms could undermine young carers

 

The children’s minister has warned colleagues that the government’s welfare changes "appear to undermine" ministerial commitments to support children of disabled lone parents by cutting as much as £3,500 a year from benefit payments.

In a letter seen by the Guardian, the education department minister, Tim Loughton, points out to Lord Freud at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that the "planned changes in the welfare reform bill appear to undermine our efforts to ensure young carers are recognised and supported".

The letter – between two Conservatives – exposes divisions over how heavy a burden the poor and vulnerable should bear from the budget cuts. Many argue that slashing welfare payments to disabled lone parents means their children will be forced to spend more time caring and less time growing up.

Children’s minister warns welfare reforms could undermine young carers | Society | The Guardian

Showcasing Changing Places

 

People with severe disabilities and their carers are being given increasing opportunity to enjoy life outside the home….

Through the efforts of the Changing Places campaign, sponsored by leading disabled toileting solutions provider Total Hygiene, already over 300 Changing Places toilets have been installed across the UK, in venues as diverse as shopping centres, leisure attractions, colleges and even car parks: a 20% increase in just six months. 

Showcasing Changing Places » Products and services » 24dash.com

Tories whitewash the many set to lose from welfare reform

 

The Conservatives debated welfare reform at their party conference this morning.

Chris Grayling started by talking of the “dreadful legacy inherited by the Labour government”. No mention of tax credits that lifted millions out of poverty and supported millions in work. Or pension credits that lifted pensioners out of poverty and improved their income by 50 per cent.

As expected, the first attack is on the “incapacity benefit culture” claiming to support those who wish to work, yet no mention of the abject failure of work programmes that are only as likely to ‘help’ people as they are to find work on their own.

Tories whitewash the many set to lose from welfare reform | Left Foot Forward

IDS goes back to Victorian values

 

Iain Duncan Smith’s moral crusade on welfare at today’s Conservative Party conference does not address the concerns of 2.51 million unemployed

This morning at Conservative Party conference, we saw the welfare reform team take to the stage. It was a similar to last year’s panel show format, as we heard from people who had been successfully helped back into work, interspersed with ministerial speeches, before the keynote address delivered by IDS.

There were a few early clangers – work and pensions minister Chris Grayling started the session stating the government would ‘reassess IB claimants to try and give you the right support”. Clearly the ‘right support’ in the government’s eyes is ‘less support’, as the reassessments are migrating around two thirds of incapacity benefit claimants on to JobSeeker’s Allowance (£26 less per week and on a penalty system for failing to take work).

IDS goes back to Victorian values | Public Finance Opinion

Welfare Reform – Day2 at Conservative conference

Today, Oct 3rd 2011 sees day 2 of the Conservative conference.

Full schedule can be read here

You can watch live here    also here

Please note 10am this morning is –

10.00 – Welfare Reform and Jobs
Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions