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Today’s Queens Speech (watch bits of it above) on behalf of her government includes a Welfare Reform Bill: aimed at creating “incentives” for people returning to work and “consequences” for those who do not. It promises the use of more “sanctions” against people on benefits who don’t ‘play by the rules’. The direction of travel is plainly wrong, and that’s why we’ve joined Compass and a host of Trade Unions, poverty campaigning organisations, academics and practioners to urge the government to think about ‘Welfare for All’ in the light of the very different and difficult economic times that we are now living in, from when these welfare reform ideas were developed over a year ago.

There is a perverse focus on benefit fraud in this Queen’s Speech. Benefit Fraud represents 0.7% (£800m) of the total benefits budget. Any business with so little fraud would be very proud of these figures. Why then is the government becoming increasingly obsessed with ‘toughening up’ and ‘cracking down’ on benefit fraud? Could the answer be votes?  Let’s put this figure into perspective. Official error is £1.9bn (1.4%); and unclaimed benefits and tax credits totals £9.5 BILLION (7.5%).

The increasingly heavy handed approach of ‘one strike and your out’, the use of lie detectors (or voice risk analysis technology), increasing use of sanctions and benefit withdrawal all in a time of increasing need and economic recession, is wrong. If the system worked properly then people would be on benefits for the shortest period of time with the maximum dignity. Rather than today where are trapped on benefits, yes the benefits trap is alive and kicking; where you are actively discentivised from taking a job; where you are not supported once you are in-work, even though that this is a proven method of getting people off benefits, back to work and then to stay in employment  over the long term; where anyone on benefits is tarred with the same brush (through DWP advertising – see previous blog posts) of being a benefit thief, a scrounger, ’undeserving’ of what is a legal entitlement.   

You could compare this to a boss. Who likes a boss that is mean, doesn’t pay you properly, doesn’t trust you, and regularly harasses you? Or do you prefer a boss who is supportive, encouraging, works to get the best out of you? I know which one I prefer having experienced both sorts.

Put yourself into the shoes of someone who’s recently been made redundant and having to sign on. There are hundreds of thousands who this has happened to already and many more to come – back to 3million unemployed by next year possibly.  I have real concerns that government is ignoring the core issues of people living in poverty and pressurising jobless people to find work that simply doesn’t exist given the limited number of jobs available. The situation for the long-term unemployed is likely to worsen as more qualified recently redundant people flood the market. “The analogy of the flower shop rings true – employers will pick the freshest flowers and the others will get more and more wilted.”

 So come on government be more positive… and be fair. Focus your efforts on the 99% who are honest, hard working people that want to get back into work and not the 0.7% who are ripping-off the system.