Responses To Social Economic Inequality Flashcards
Government responses
-The UK’s welfare state has its roots in the proposals put forward by Lord Beveridge during World War Two. The UK had to be rebuilt following the destruction by the war. There was a collective national sacrifice to win the war, so it was felt there should be a collective national ‘safety net’, paid for by taxation and national insurance contributions, to support people.
The Government would try to ensure that everyone had the basic needs in life, housing, education and health care from “the cradle to the grave”. But Beveridge could not foresee how UK society would change between World War Two and today.
Life expectancy for men and women has risen dramatically with implications for the cost of pensions
There has been a large growth in the number of lone parents leading to a knock-on effect on benefit costs such as housing and council tax benefits
Millions of people are now unemployed, something Beveridge did not imagine and the costs of unemployment are considerable for government
Current UK statistics: -
Unemployment is now 1.44 million
Life expectancy for babies born in 2018 - 79.2 for men and 82.9 for women
In 1962 lone parent families accounted for 2.5% of all families. In 2016 lone parent families accounted for 25%
Tackling Poverty
Successive governments have believed getting people back into work is the best way to tackle poverty. However the credit crunch of 2008 and the subsequent economic difficulties saw unemployment rise. This makes it difficult for the long term unemployed to find work as they are competing against others with more recent and better work experience and qualifications.
Whilst helping those to find work, the welfare state continues to support the unemployed with a range of benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has responsibility for benefits and for getting people back to work. The welfare budget accounts for 14% of all government spending. The Conservative have made reforming welfare a priority. Their aim us to get more people back to work.
Benefit Cap
-In 2013 the Coalition Government introduced a benefit cap that limited how much a non working household could get in benefits. In 2017 the lowered the cap further. In London benefits are capped at £23,000 and in the rest of the UK £20,000 per family per year.
Universal Credit
-Universal is a government policy to replace six existing benefits with one universal payment. The six benefits being replaced are Housing Benfit, Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Job Seekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance.
Although it was expected that this new system would be completed by 2017, it will now not be completed until 2022, five years behind schedule.
In return for receiving Universal Credit, those unemployed must look for work or take steps towards it. This may include preparing a CV, attending training courses, applying for suggested vacancies or registering with a recruitment agency. I
Child benefit
-Child benefit is a tax-free payment that is aimed at helping parents cope with the cost of bringing up children. However, changes to the rules came into force in January 2013 and all parents are no longer entitled to child benefit. Families where one parent is earning more than £50,000 a year cannot claim the full amount. Those who are eligible for the full payment can claim £20.70 a week for an eldest or only child and £13.70 a week for each other child. The payments apply to all children aged under 16 or who stay on at school. Child Benefit will continue to be available in addition to Universal Credit, but payments for children are now means-tested.
Action on gender inequality
-Women make up the majority of professional workers in many countries. Sexist behaviour at work is illegal.
Changes in the economy have made a difference too. The old manufacturing industries which provided jobs in Scotland such as coal, steel and shipbuilding have been replaced by ‘service sector’ jobs in tourism, education, banking, IT and law. Women compete for these jobs on much more equal terms.
Flexible working
An increasing number of companies are seeing the benefits of flexible working. Staff are employed on annual rather than weekly hours and many come into work later or go home earlier, enabling men and women to look after children. Some businesses allow their staff to work nine days per fortnight and more people now work from home. As people live and work longer, companies are rethinking the structure of their career opportunities. Many offer unpaid leave and/or career breaks.
Women in politics
In politics women are still far from having equal numbers of representatives as men. At the 2010 general election, 20% of MPs elected to the House of Commons were female. This increased to 29% after the 2015 general election but is low considering the UK population is 51% female. There is little evidence that women are any less interested in politics than men (at the 2010 UK General Election, 66% of men voted, compared with 64% of women). So why are there still so few female representatives?
The Scottish Parliament has led the way in having more family-friendly working hours and holidays. But the reality of political life means that our elected representatives still have to attend many evening meetings and are expected to be ‘always available, anytime’ by phone, email or social media. As such, those with family commitments such as looking after children and elderly relatives, who are still more likely to be women, are put off getting involved in politics.
Government actions on inequalities
-Since 1970, Acts introduced by the UK Parliament went some way to address discrimination. However these Acts did not succeed in creating complete gender equality. In 2010, the UK Parliament passed the Equality Act which has strengthened and replaced all existing equal opportunities laws, including those covering race and disability. Now, instead of lots of different Acts of Parliament we just have one Equality Act which tries to ensure that people in the UK are treated equally.
Equality Act Aims
-Under the Equality Act it is unlawful to discriminate (treat less favourably) anyone directly or indirectly because of a ‘protected characteristic’ of which there are nine:
age disability gender reassignment marriage and civil partnership pregnancy and maternity race, colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins religion or belief (including lack of belief) gender sexual orientation
Voluntary Sector
Outside of governments, there are voluntary organisations helping to tackle social and economic inequality. Across Scotland and the UK there are many charities established to help with things such as homelessness, health, and discrimination.
One of the most talked-about voluntary schemes of recent years has been the establishment of food banks.
Private Sector
-The private sector also plays a wide role in addressing social inequality from implementing government initiatives to addressing racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, to providing private health care, to entering into partnerships with government to build hospitals and schools.
Private health care is available for those able to afford it. Health care services – such as dental care or mental health counselling – are often provided by employers in workplace schemes. The unemployed, however, are excluded from these types of schemes.
The private sector has also helped build new schools and hospitals in partnership arrangements with governments and local councils. Usually the private companies pay for and build the new buildings and then rent them to the councils or government. The appeal of these partnerships for governments is they do not have to provide funds upfront to pay for construction.
