Political Groups

Question 1

What is the social democratic view on social welfare

Answer 1

The government should be responsible for social welfare and for action to eliminate problems that effect the most vulnerable and socially excluded in society

Question 2

What is the social democratic view on social inequality

Answer 2

Social inequality threatens the stability of society,and wealth and income should be redistributed through taxation. The more you earn the more you pay .the state should provide “womb to tomb” support to reduce social inequality and tackle poverty

Question 3

What is the social democratic view on benefits

Answer 3

Benefits should be available to all because means tested benefits create a stigma on this claiming them. This means that sometimes those entitled to benefits won’t claim them. Means testing also puts people off from getting lowpaid jobs as they are not much better off working than being on benefits.

Question 4

What is the social democratic view on social cohesion

Answer 4

The need for more social cohesion- greater equality in healthcare,education,and employement promotes a more cohesive and less divided society

Question 5

What did the new right and conservative government do about want to do about DEPENDANCY culture between 1979 and 1997

Answer 5

Raise quality through competition,reduce inefficiency,eliminate teh DEPENDANCY culture and develop principles of the deserving poor

Question 6

What did the new right and conservative government want to do about the deserving poor between 1979 - 1997

Answer 6

Target benefits to the “deserving poor” such as the sick and disabled

Question 7

What did the new right and conservative government want to do about absent fathers between 1979 - 1997

Answer 7

The child support allowance CSA was introduced to penalise absent fathers

Question 8

What happens to welfare and benefits when the new right and conservative government was in power between 1979 and 1997

Answer 8

There were serious cuts in welfare spending and benefits

Question 9

When the new right and conservative government were in power between 1979 and 1997 what did working people have to pay for

Answer 9

Charges were introduced for eye tests,dentists and prescriptions if you were working

Question 10

What approach did labour take when they came in power In 1997

Answer 10

They took a more social democratic approach of welfare provision whimsy still retaining some elements of the previous new right approach

Question 11

When labour came in power from 1997 to 2010 what was a a stronger emphasis placed on

Answer 11

A stronger emphasis placed on ta Kling the problems of those pushed to the margins of society and unable to participate fully in social life because of poverty

Question 12

Rather than a victim blaming approach of the new right what did new labour aim to do

Answer 12

The aim was to give people a hand up through the benefits system,helping them to become self supporting citizens rather than dependant on welfare state handouts which became known as a hand up

Question 13

Benefits wise what policies did new labour implement

Answer 13

An increase in how much people could claim in benefits

Pensions for the elderly were increased and big increases in spending in healthcare and education

Question 14

Minimum wage wise what policies did new labour implement

Answer 14

The introduction of the national minimum wage

Introduction of credits to help the lowest paid in society.this would help to tip up people wages and would help overcome the poverty trap by making work pay more than benefits

Question 15

Education wise what policies did new labour implement

Answer 15

An increase in childcare and nursery education with all 3 and 4 year olds guaranteed 5 half days in nursery each week

Sure start centres were opened which helped helped the most disadvantaged children to get a better start in life

Question 16

What is the family intervention project implemented by new labour

Answer 16

The family intervention project was to help tackle the cycle of deprivation and the passing of poverty from one generation to another by intervening families where there were multiple problems and anti social behaviour

Question 17

What is the neighbourhood renewal strategy implemented by new labour

Answer 17

It was to regenerate the most deprived communities and to help improve the health and education of the most disadvantaged.this involves spending money on social housing

Question 18

What scheme did new labour implement to reduce child poverty

Answer 18

The new deal scheme trying to get women back into the workforce as 1 in 4 children are in poverty

Question 19

What did coalition of conservatives and lib.dem introduce

Answer 19

Universal credit

Question 20

When conservative and lib.dem coalition were in power from 2010 to 2015 what policies did they keep from new labour

Answer 20

Continued emphasis on parenting skills,and flexible childcare as a means of tackling child poverty

Steps were taken to ensure that it was more beneficial to work rather than be on benefits

Question 21

What was the new right approach of sickness

Answer 21

1) There was a stricter definition imposed as to what being “incapable” of work really meant. New medical tests were introduced which were much harsher wit the aim of cutting the number of people claiming sickness benefits.

Question 22

What was the new right approach of disability

Answer 22

2) Benefits for the disabled, particularly families with disabled children were cut.

Question 23

What are new right policies on sure start centres

Answer 23

3) Sure start centres were either closed down completely or suffered cuts to funding.
Targets set by New Labour to reduce child poverty were also abandoned

Question 24

What was new right policy on child benefits

Answer 24

4) The level of child benefit paid to parents was frozen for 3 years which meant the value of the benefit did not increase. The number of children you could claim for was also limited to three

Question 25

What was the new right policy on housing benefits

Answer 25

5) Housing benefit was capped depending on which area you lived in. This then forced people out of the inner cities to the North where rents were cheaper.
However, this affected poor families the most as these areas had higher rates of unemployment
(Lister 2011)
Benefits were also reduced for those who had a spare bedroom. This became known as the “Bedroom tax”

Question 26

What is new right policy on educational allowance

Answer 26

6) The ending of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA), and higher
University fees had the worst effect on the educational prospects of the poorest groups in society.