Welfare

The Chancellor's decision to exploit the public grief.
Osborne's intervention over the Philpott case is a new low
By George Eaton - 04 April 15:06

The Chancellor's decision to exploit the public grief over the deaths of the Philpott children in order to make the case for cutting welfare is political opportunism at its worst.

440,000 families will lose £16.90 a week.
The untold story of April’s welfare cuts: the combined impacts
By Adam Tinson - 04 April 12:25

440,000 families will lose £16.90 a week as they are hit by both the bedroom tax and cuts to council tax support.

Former Conservative leadership candidate David Davis.
Tory MPs respond to Philpott case by calling for new curbs on child benefit
By George Eaton - 04 April 10:46

Those calling for child benefit to be limited to the first two offspring need to explain why children should be punished for being born into large families.

David Cameron has already outlined the draconian cuts the Tories would make.
Welfare cuts: how they could have been even worse
By George Eaton - 03 April 15:09

David Cameron has already outlined the draconian cuts a Conservative majority government would make.

Protestors hold signs as they demonstrate against the proposed 'bedroom tax'.
The Iain Duncan Smith petition shows how social media can lead political debate
By Brie Rogers Lowery - 03 April 12:01

By seizing upon a moment of perceived hypocrisy, the petition made the welfare debate accessible to the public, says the UK director of Change.org.

Ministers consider plans to force workers to increase their hours.
The next stage of welfare reform: work more hours or lose your benefits
By George Eaton - 03 April 8:40

Ministers consider plans to force workers to increase their hours or change jobs in return for receiving Universal Credit payments.

Iain Duncan Smith. Photograph: Getty Images
Iain Duncan Smith: "Been there, done that" on £53 a week. He hasn't
By Alex Hern - 03 April 8:27

IDS used the welfare state in his youth, and now he's pulling the ladder up behind him.

Members of the public in north London walk past a poster.
How Osborne disguised the truth about the rising housing benefit bill
By George Eaton - 02 April 16:44

Excessive rents and substandard wages are to blame for soaring housing benefit payments, not workshy 'scroungers'.

Iain Duncan Smith said if he "had to" live on £53 a week he "would".
Could you live on £53 a week? How Cameron and Osborne responded
By George Eaton - 02 April 14:18

Iain Duncan Smith's cabinet colleagues have chosen not to match his boast that he could live on £53 a week.

George Osborne scrapped the 50p tax rate in his 2012 Budget.
The welfare cuts that the 50p tax rate could have prevented
By George Eaton - 02 April 12:37

George Osborne abolished the top rate of tax after it "only" raised £1bn - but which welfare cuts could have been avoided for that amount?

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