Coalition and Conservative Government (Neo-Liberal/New Right)

Question 1

Overview

Answer 1

The Conservative-led Coalition government and succeeding Conservative governments aimed to continue the New Right’s (Neo-Liberal) anti welfare dependency policies of making work more seem more attractive and benefits less attractive, and cutting government expenditure as part of their policy of austerity

Question 2

Policies Benefits cap

Answer 2

This a limit placed on the total amount of benefit that most people can get. This means the amount given for certain benefits will go down to make sure that the total is not more than the cap level. The aim of the ‘Benefits Cap’ is to abolish the poverty trap by making work more attractive than benefits.

Question 3

Policies Benefit Sanctions

Answer 3

Benefit sanctions are a punishment applied to benefit claimants adjudged to have infringed jobcentre rules. If claimants fail to turn up for appointments or to apply for enough jobs, officials effectively fine them by stopping their benefit payments for a minimum of four weeks
The government claims sanctions “work”. They provide a deterrent effect to the half-hearted job seeker, and a kick up the backside to the lazy and feckless to make them stop being dependent on benefits.

Question 4

Other Policies

Answer 4

Living Wage: A new Living wage of £9 an hour is to be introduced in 2020 for the over 25’s. This is higher than the Minimum Wage and will offset losses form Tax credit cuts.

Tax credits have been cut. PM Cameron said they were used to top up low pay and by removing them it would encourage employers to pay higher wages.

Question 5

A03: Have increased poverty

Cuts to out of work benefits

Answer 5

Policies have increased material deprivation amongst the poorest members of the working class

Harris states the housing benefit reductions have forced some families to move out of areas where they had lived all their lives and where they had strong social networks; this has increased the social exclusion of the poorest groups in society and hit the life chances of poor children. According to the JRF, this increase in poverty has led to the poor facing greater debt, rent arrears, depression, hunger and destitution.

Question 6

A03: Cuts to in work benefits and wages

Answer 6

Workers in low paid jobs have seen their incomes hit by reductions to welfare benefits and a fall in the real value of their wages. Cuts to tax credits, child benefit and school based benefits has led to fall in living standards for those in work.
Workers have faced rising prices as VAT has increased, prescriptions costs have increased and transport is more expensive. Moreover, a freeze in the pay of public sector workers has led to more people in work now living in poverty. Low wages has forced more people to use food banks in order to feed their families;