Poor hit hardest by UK govt. policies

May 13, 2012 Carers, disability, Older care, poverty

Carers feel forgotten by society

The poorest households have been most affected by the soaring cost of living in Britain as they spend a higher proportion of their incomes to meet the problem of food and energy bills, warns a new research.

According to a study by Trades Union Congress (TUC), Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation for the poorest 10 percent of households in February was 4.1 percent, compared with 3.6 percent for middle-income families and 3.3 per cent for the richest 10 percent.

“People have been getting poorer every month for the last two years as high inflation, tax rises and the dire state of the economy take their toll on family budgets,” said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.

Councils are facing a very tough decision

May 11, 2012 Carers, disability, ukcuts

Councils are facing very tough decisions

Posted by:

Ruth Keeling

11 May, 2012

Local government insiders have described the government’s welfare reforms as a “time bomb” for local government, and in recent weeks you may have heard a whispered countdown.

There was news that London councils were preparing to move people on their housing lists to houses many miles away because the cap on housing benefit will be insufficient to meet the rent demands of private sector landlords.

The Department for Work & Pensions also published details of what it wants from councils wishing to pilot face-to-face support work for benefit claimants moving to the new Universal Credit, including a challenging timetable and ducking the question of how or whether local government would be involved or funded in the long term.