Archive: October, 2015


  • Hand out or help up?

    The Government appears intent in pressing ahead with its cuts to tax credits. With £4 billion a year savings at stake, it's easy to see why. However, the scale of these cuts is significantly higher than anything that has been suggested before. Having already taken billions out of the social security...

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  • The surplus children's tax

    When the benefit cap was first introduced it was justified by saying people on benefit shouldn’t receive more than people on a typical income.

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  • The illusion of security

    During the election period we heard a lot about hard working families who 'do the thing thing', mainly as a group praised by politicians targeted with many pre-election promises of support. Since the election Government ministers have talked about the 'security of work', as if work in itself bestowed security...

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  • Turning the Tables on Poverty

    On Friday 9th October the Stoke-on-Trent Hardship Commission launched its report. After 12 months of hard work, reviewing statistics, talking to the people who experience poverty first hand and deliberating over their recommendations, they finally released their conclusions.

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