This talk was given to the Poverty Network at Dewsbury Minster to explore what is changing in the welfare state and what real welfare reforms might the Church wish to support.

1. Thoughts on Welfare Reform
Dr Simon Duffy ￭ The Centre for Welfare Reform
￭ 30th April 2013 ￭ The Poverty Network

2. Logically, welfare reform implies
making the welfare state better.
Is that what is happening?

3. ‘Austerity’ is not
the problem.

4. The financial crisis was not
caused by welfare spending.
It was caused by over-lending to
individuals to support excessive
house price growth.
It is a bubble politicians cannot
afford to burst.

5. Then did all the grants and the subsidies, the benefits and the
bargain offers pass over these poverty-stricken peasants when
Ingolfur Angerson's ideals came to fruition? What is one to say? It
so happens that it signifies little though a penniless crofter be
offered a grant from the Treasury towards the cost of tractors and
modern ploughs...
The fact is that it is utterly pointless to make anyone a generous
offer unless he is a rich man; rich men are the only people who can
accept a generous offer. To be poor is simply the peculiar human
condition of not being able to take advantage of a generous offer.
The essence of being a poor peasant is the inability to avail oneself
of the gifts which politicians offer or promise and to be left at the
mercy of ideals which only make the rich richer and the poor
poorer.
Halldor Laxness

6. Even if cuts are
necessary - there is
no need to target
cuts like this...

9. £72 billion of cuts

10. Most cuts fall
in two areas:

11. Child Benefit freeze
Abolition of Sure Start Maternity for second
and subsequent children
Change to CPI indexation of benefits Reductions in support for carers
Replacing DLA with PIP
Child Benefit clawback from higher rate
taxpayers
Time-limiting of contributory ESA Transfer of Social Fund to local government
Council Tax Benefit – 10% reduction and
localisation
Extension of JSA lone parents with a
youngest child aged 5-6
Housing Benefit cuts Household Benefit cap
Abolition of the Independent Living Fund Continued use of ATOS or others
Universal Credit Reductions in ‘Access to Work’ funding
Closure of Remploy services Abolition of the Child Trust Fund
Tax credit changes Abolition of the Health in Pregnancy Grant
Abolition of the Child Trust Fund Abolition of the ESA youth rules

14. 60% of local government cuts (£16.2 bn.) must fall
on social care = approx. £9.5 bn. by 2015

18. Is this welfare
reform or a war
on welfare?

20. What is wrong with the welfare
state - if anything?

21. The current situation is confused
because many of us accept the
need for welfare reform...
...but reject the idea that these
changes are real reforms.

22. The welfare state is
a good thing,
its just designed
wrong.

23. Why the welfare state is good
• Morality demands we create a fair society
• Happiness demands security and freedom
• Efficiency demands we use all our talents
• Prudence demands we avoid fear & crisis

24. Fear and insecurity
breed scapegoating,
terror, war &
revolution

25. [The ill-fated Pruitt-Igoe housing project]
But current design is rooted in
the paternalistic values of the
1940’s - the state knows best.

26. The design is confusing and
damaging...

27. but it’s not too generous...

28. it’s not riddled with fraud...

29. and it’s not unfair to the rich.

30. It’s failing to tackle inequality

31. There
are
many
services,
but
often
no
support

32. It’s far too centralised

33. It’s very controlling

34. What kind of welfare state do
we really want?

36. Citizenship is the key to reform
• Human rights at heart of system
• Minimum universal securities as rights
• Fair and integrated tax-benefit
system
• Individual freedom for all
• Families and communities respected

37. 1.Join the Campaign for a Fair Society
www.campaignforafairsociety.org
1.Subscribe to The Centre for Welfare Reform
www.centreforwelfarereform.org
1.Twitter users can follow #fairsociety
If you want to get more involved