“The welfare state is now a vast, sprawling bureaucracy that can act to entrench, rather than solve, the problems of … Continue reading “The DWP on welfare reform: good on the generalities, weak on the details”

From the moment Frank Field raised doubts about the validity of relative poverty measures, the outrage industry has been up … Continue reading “Frank Field: speaking the unspeakable”

“The purpose of my life here is to improve the quality of life of the worst off in society.” Such … Continue reading “A cheer for Iain Duncan Smith – but he will make enemies”

Even Margaret Thatcher didn’t manage to dismantle Britain’s disastrous welfare system. Judging by the policy plans of the Lib-Con coalition, … Continue reading “Making the country work again”

Unemployment figures may still look bleak, but there is one occupational group which can be thoroughly relaxed about their future … Continue reading “Ending child poverty: no social worker left behind”

In a radio debate with Mark Littlewood, Adrian Sinfield, Professor Emeritus of Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh, was critical of IEA proposals to … Continue reading “Tax credits and the Negative Income Tax: a house cat is not a Bengal tiger”

Iain Duncan Smith deserves credit for fully understanding the nature and scale of the welfare problem. But that’s the easy … Continue reading “Going beyond the IDS reforms”

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne leads the chorus of tut-tutting at means-tested child tax credits going to “better-off” families and seems … Continue reading “Means testing means more welfare dependency”

The Conservatives are proposing to clamp down on incapacity benefit claimants in order to deal with the large numbers they … Continue reading “Incapacity Benefit: minor tinkering will not end a sick system”