HEALTH AND WEALTH – PRELIM REVISION

Critically examine the success of recent

government policies to reduce poverty

ESSAY PLAN

Take each group and assess government policies to

help them

Or

Take the reforms and assess their effectiveness

CHILDREN

Start each paragraph with the evidence of poverty (1-2

sentences)

E.G . The problem of child poverty in Britain, despite the efforts

of the previous Labour government has gotten worse, according

to a Save the Children report in 2012, 1 in 8 go without a hot

meal a day. 1 in 7 without a winter coat, 38% of children in

families with 3 plus children. 2.8 million living in poverty, in

Scotland – 25% of 3 and 4 year olds in persistent poverty

POLICIES TO HELP CHILDREN

UK

Child Benefit (Under 16 or in FT education training, household income no more

that £49,999

Child Tax Credits,

‘Sure Start’ programme, universal, free, part-time nursery education for 3 year

olds.

Scotland

Childcare Vouchers,

Free nursery places for 2 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds

Free School Meals for working families on low incomes

Tackling pay inequalities via ‘Living Wage’ for Scottish Government employees.

EFFECTIVE? NOJan 2013: Families with two children in Scotland will be more than

£1,100 worse off over the five years from 2011 to 2016 due to UK

Government Child Benefit cuts.

Child benefit freezes and below inflation rises will see household income

for a family with two children cut by over £1,100, a family with three

children cut by over £1,500 and a family with one child by over £650.

If one person in the household earns over £50,000 child benefit is cut.

Coalition Gov’t not aiming to reduce but pledged not increase child

poverty.

EFFECTIVE? NO

National initiatives may be less successful at local level – funding

etc.

Childcare costs in Scotland higher than in England - 25 hours of

care over 50 weeks at the most expensive, costing £11,688

Scottish Government plans to offer free childcare to looked after

children in Scotland but this is only 1% Scottish Lib Dems calling for

them in Jan 2013 to extend this to all disadvantaged children.

Jan 2012 Scotland has 13 of its 32 councils with over 30% child

poverty. On average 20% of children in Scotland in poverty.

EFFECTIVE? YES

Free nursery places helping in Scotland. Early

learning and childcare opportunities for vulnerable

two year olds will be expanded following an

investment of £1.5 million a year over the next three

years from the Scottish Government.

EVIDENCE OF POVERTY: LONE PARENTS

57% of working-age lone parents are

working, up from 51% a decade ago.

600,000 lone parents relying on

Income Support

143,645 JSA Lone Parent claimants at

September 2012. This is an increase of

21,950 from September 2011

POLICIES TO HELP LONE PARENTS

New Deal Lone Parents

Child Tax Credit

Working Tax Credit

Universal Credit

EFFECTIVE? NO

NDLP not compulsory

The government's welfare reforms and the

introduction of the universal credit will make up to

150,000 of the country's poorest single parents up to

£68 a week worse off, potentially pushing 250,000

children further into poverty. According to Save the

Children

EFFECTIVE? YES

After 6 months 43% of NDLP participants had a

job.

DWP argues “the truth is 600,000 lone parents will

be better off under a system which will incentivise

work and make work pay,"

POLICIES TO HELP: THE ELDERLY

1 in 5 pensioners at risk of poverty, 2 million

according to ONS

UK

State Pension

Pension Credit

Winter Fuel Payment

Cold Weather Payment

Housing Benefit

Council Tax Benefit

New Deal 50 Plus

Free TV license over 75

GOVERNMENT POLICIES TO HELP

Scotland

Free Bus Pass over 60s

Free Prescriptions

EFFECTIVE? YES

Simplification of the state pension that will be introduced for

new pensioners from 2017. The new rate, set above the basic

£142.70 level of the means test and well above the current basic

state pension of £107 a week, will be a vast improvement.

The government estimates that 750,000 women who reach

pension age in the decade after the new system is introduced

will receive an extra £9 a week. It says that 2.8 million receive a

state pension of under £80 a week, compared with 474,000 men

GOVERNMENT POLICIES TO HELP: UNEMPLOYED

1 in 5 18-24 year olds out of work

November 14 2012 unemployment rate stands at

7.8% - down 0.2% over the quarter and 0.4% over

the year.

223,000 for Scotland 8.2% of nation

EFFECTIVE? NO

Fuel Allowance has been reduced - Pensioners will lose up

to £100 in winter fuel payments in 2011, despite gas and

electricity bills continuing to rise.

Age of eligibility for state pension increasing for women

from 60 to 60-65 and men 65- 66.

Women will suffer because pensioners will have to make

national insurance contributions for 35 years, rather than

the current 30, to benefit from the new pension.

GOVERNMENT POLICIES TO HELP: THE UNEMPLOYED

Jobseekers Allowance £71

Jobcentre Plus

Pension Credits

Winter Fuel Payments

EFFECTIVE? YES

Universal Credit - Plan is to help those in work

receive more than those who are on benefits.

Encourages long term unemployed back into work.

Simplifies system and cuts costs.

EFFECTIVE? NOJSA not enough to lift unemployed above poverty line – using

relative consumption it is half of what it was 30 years ago.

Unemployed more likely than Lone Parents, sick or disabled

to live in poverty

NMW doesn’t give unemployed an incentive to work as it is

not enough to live above the poverty line.

Government have labelled their welfare reform as ‘strivers vs

skivers’ Many deem this an unfair label given the lack of

employment opportunities in post-recession Britain.