government responses to poverty - neoliberalism

Question 1

Time frame?

Answer 1

2010 - 2015

Question 2

What type of government was neoliberalism?

What 2 governments made up the neoliberals?

Answer 2

• A coalition government.

1. Conservatives
2. Liberal Democrats

Question 3

What was the central focus?

Answer 3

To reform the welfare state.

Question 4

What ideas did neoliberals continue? Whose ideas was it originally?

Answer 4

They continued New Labour’s focus on the working poor.

Question 5

What was the aim of reorganising the NHS?

Answer 5

The NHS was reorganised so that there was an increase in the role of private sector companies in the NHS.

Question 6

What happened in regards to the numbers on social housing waiting lists?

Answer 6

Numbers rose as cuts were made by the government.

Question 7

State the New Labour policies that were continued under neoliberalism.

Answer 7

• Moving people away from welfare into work.
• Recognition of the poverty trap.
• Simplifying the benefits system/new universal credit.

Question 8

What was emphasised when the government wanted to move people away from welfare and into work?

HINT - Large focus on children.

Answer 8

An emphasis was placed on parenting skills, supporting nursery education and more flexible childcare to tackle cultural dimensions of child poverty.

Question 9

Describe what the recognition of the poverty trap ensured.

Answer 9

Benefits that people lost would not be greater than what they earned as they entered employment.

Benefits would decrease as employment increased + benefits would increase again if employment decreased.

Question 10

Describe what was to happen as the government simplifyed the benefits system.

Answer 10

A single income was to replace benefits for working age adults.

Question 11

What was the aim of simplifying the benefits system?

Answer 11

To provide people with basic minimum income that would only get reduced as other income increased e.g through employment.

Question 12

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

How did they attempt to tackle to dependency culture? Who did these affect the most?

Answer 12

They introduced a range of policies introducing harsher approaches to benefits effectively hitting the poorest the hardest.

Question 13

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

Who in particular did the NR aim their harsh policies at in regards to welfare benefits?

Answer 13

There was a harsher approach to those recieving welfare benefits because they were incapable of work due to an illness/disability.

Question 14

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

What did the NR create a stricter definition for?

Answer 14

What ‘incapable of work’ meant.

Question 15

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

What did the NR introduce harsher tests for?

Answer 15

They introduced harsher medial tests to those claiming benefits due to illness or disability.

Question 16

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

Who were benefits cut for?

Answer 16

The disabled - particularly for families with disabled children.

Question 17

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

Who was affected by childcare payments being cut?

Answer 17

Low income families - espeically lone parents or families where only one parent was in employment.

Question 18

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

What did the NR place a stronger emphasis on in regards to poverty?

Answer 18

Cultural and individual aspects of poverty rather than material inequalities and wealth redistribution.

Question 19

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

Which benefits were capped under the NR? What was the effect of this?

Answer 19

Housing benefits.

• People living in high rent areas had less of their rent covered by benefits.
• Benefits were reduced for those deemed to have a spare bedroom (‘bedroom tax’).

Question 20

RE-EMERGENCE OF THE NR

How were the poorest groups affected in regards to education?

Answer 20

The Education Maintenance Allowance was ended and university fees increased.

Question 21

Give a strength of the neoliberals’ response to poverty.

Answer 21

There was a stronger emphasis placed on cultural and individual aspects of poverty rather than material inequalities and wealth distribution which therefore provided a new perspective.

Question 22

Give a criticism of the neoliberals response to poverty in regards to the value of benefits.

Answer 22

Cuts in the value of benefits hit the poorest groups the hardest.

Question 23

Give a criticism of the neoliberals’ response to poverty in regards to who could recieve benefits.

Answer 23

There were harsher approaches to those recieving welfare benefits e.g the definition of ‘incapable of work’ grew stricter/tighter.

Question 24

Give a criticism of the neoliberals’ response to poverty in regards to the discipline surrounding benefits.

Answer 24

There was an intensifying process of disciplining those claiming benefits + a growing system of surveillance and removal of benefits for those who failed to conform strictly to the rules of the welfare state.