Author: alanmarkey

By Posted on Posted in Campaigns, Resources, Universal Credit, Welfare Reform

NAWRA has sent a formal response to the Work and Pensions Committee Universal credit update inquiry.  Thank you to all the members who responded to our request for information – your help has been invaluable, as always. NAWRA has serious concerns about Universal Credit – in particular as the full service rolls out.  We have called for a range of changes to be implemented if the full rollout is to have a chance of success.  These include: Allowing alternative payment arrangements …

Universal Credit inquiry Read more »

By Posted on Posted in PIP, Press release, Welfare Reform

NAWRA issued the following press release on Friday 3rd March 2017: The government has announced shock plans to restrict entitlement to the disability benefit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (NAWRA) strongly refutes the claims made by government that two recent court decisions (1) in any way ‘extend’ or ‘broaden’ the meaning of the PIP regulations as claimed by government. In fact the judges simply seek to confirm the original policy intent of the DWP …

NAWRA condemns backdoor cuts to PIP Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Basic Income, Committee, Welfare Reform Tagged with , ,

Eri Mountbatten, our North Wales elected representative on the NAWRA committee, writes about the concept of a basic (or citizens) income: What is basic (or citizens) income? For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, the central and arguably well founded assumption is that the current welfare system is broken.  It demoralises those most vulnerable in society and creates artificial barriers to individual and societal progress by keeping welfare claimants in the so-called ‘poverty-trap’. Proponents suggest that in order to …

A Basic Income in the UK – ‘what’s not to like’? Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Members

NAWRA has submitted a response to the ‘Self-sufficient local government: 100% business rates retention’ consultation voicing our concern at the proposal that Attendance Allowance would no longer be a cash benefit in England and Wales if responsibility for it transfers from the DWP to each local authority’s social care budget. Our submission is available here. Thanks to our North-East representative, Julie Henry (Durham County Council), for drafting it.