Limiting benefits Flashcards
Name 3 policies with respect to limiting benefits
1) The cap on housing benefits
2) Universal credit
3) Limitations on child benefit paid to higher tax rate payers
Limiting benefits is often politically popular
• Save money
It saves taxpayers money by allowing it to be spent elsewhere
Limiting benefits is often politically popular
• Perception
Those on benefits are often perceived as undeserving or lazy
Limiting benefits is not popular
• Controversial
It is controversial and has been questioned by many prominent pressure groups and charities, such as Shelter and the Child Poverty Action Group
Limiting benefits is not popular
• not addressing the problem
Political problems were created by the proposed limits to child benefit
Socially unfair
• JAMs
The policy proposals will predominantly hit those on low and lower-middle incomes, for example by limiting housing benefits, or capping overall benefits
Socially unfair
• Distinction
The reforms create an artificial distinction between ‘deserving’ and underserving’ on benefits and the limited options that they may have to work in practice
Socially unfair
For the children
Even if one accepts the premise that some are ‘undeserving’ this should not apply to their children, who are likely to be significantly affected by limits to benefits
Socially unfair
• Cycle of deprivation
The ‘cycle of deprivation’ suggests that those who begin in poverty, especially as children, are more likely to remain in poverty throughout their lives unless specifically helped by government
It is justified
• Generous cap
The caps proposed will be generous, approximately £350 per week for a single adult with no children and £500 per week for a couple or lone parent, and sufficient to keep families out of poverty.
It’s justified
• Extreme cases
Only a small number of ‘extreme cases’ of large families on benefits living in big houses will this be affected
It’s justified
• Spread the pain
The limits to Child Benefit for higher rate tax payers mark a specific effort to ‘spread the pain’, and do proposals under consideration to means test some pensioners benefits
It’s justified
• Exemptions
Clear exemptions can be made for particular ‘deserving cases’. For example those receiving Working Tax Credit, Disability Living Allowance, or a War Widows pension
It’s justified
• Easier to understand
Simplifying the system of benefits will be to the benefit of poorer families, as it will make it easier to understand and claim their entitlements
