Children’s Society says coalition’s universal credit, as currently envisaged, seems a step backward
More than 350,000 children will lose their free school meals under the government’s radical plans to reform welfare entitlement next year, an analysis by the Children’s Society has warned.
In a report entitled Fair and Square, the charity says the proposed universal credit system, which comes into force in October 2013, will stop paying for certain benefits if a household earns more than £7,500.
At present the welfare system compensates poor families with cash from the tax credit system.
5:00pm Friday 20th April 2012
DISABLED people are soft targets for cash-strapped councils, an autistic man’s father says.
Kevin Kearney, of Western Way, South Ham, Basingstoke, suffers from autism and struggles with communication, and for most of his life he has been attending courses which allow him to learn new skills.
Currently, he attends courses four times a week, all of which are partly funded by Hampshire County Council and for which he does not pay. But Kevin has been told by the county council that he must pay £23.94 every week towards ‘care services’.
The 39 year-old, who lives with his parents in Basingstoke, does not receive, or need, any care at home.
12:10pm Friday 20th April 2012 in Darlington By Andy Walker
A COUNCIL has been accused of letting down the older generation after hundreds of people saw an increase in the amount they contribute towards their care costs.
In November last year, Darlington Borough Council changed the way it assessed people’s ability to pay for their care.
A total of 326 people across the borough were affected by the change.
