1. Over the next several periods we will…
Identify how poverty is tackled in the UK
Identify what central government, the Scottish government, councils, voluntary groups and private companies do to tackle poverty in the UK
Understand the arguments over whether these organisations do too much or too little to tackle poverty

2. Success Criteria
I will be able to identify the different aspects of the benefits system in Britain today
I will be able to identify what different organisations are doing to tackle poverty
I will be able to reach a judgement as to whether or not the benefits system is too harsh or too generous

3. Tackling Poverty: Central Government
Lesson Starter
In what ways does the government help to tackle poverty? Write as many ways as you can think of.

4. Tackling Poverty: Central Government
The Department for Work and Pensions is the biggest spending department in the UK Government - spending £166.98bn in Of that huge sum, £159bn was spent on benefits - an increase of 1.1% on the previous year.
That is 23% of all public spending.

5. Tackling Poverty: Central Government
In the 2014 Budget the Conservative- Lib Dem government introduced a 'cap' on spending in the welfare budget. It included most disability and sickness payments, as well as tax credits and most Housing Benefit, but it didn’t cap Jobseekers Allowance or the State Pension (among others).
In the cap was set at £119.5 billion by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne MP.
£119.5 billion!

6. Tackling Poverty: Central Government
What benefits do you think this money is spent on? Why?
Number yourself 1-4.
On your own think about the following benefits. What are they? Who might claim them and why.
Rank the following benefits in order with the most spent first.
Job Seeker’s Allowance
Pensions
Disability Living Allowance
Housing Benefit
Discuss benefits here. May find that some pupils think most benefits are given to the unemployed but next slide shows that total spent on JSA is fairly low compared to other benefits. Most is spent on pensions.

7. Tackling Poverty: Central Government
In the financial year 2014/15, the UK government spent roughly £258 billion on welfare, which made up 35% of all government spending.

8. https://www. theguardian

9. Tackling Poverty: Central Government
By far the largest amount of money was spent on the State Pension - £92.1 billion
In comparison very little is spent on unemployment benefits - £2.4 billion.

10. Total spent on benefits in 2011-12
Highest spend on pensions
JSA (the brew or the dole) is quite low

11. http://www. ukpublicspending. co
– Government spending figures

15. Should there be a benefits system?
Class discussion…debate if time?

16. Should there be a benefits system?
YES NO
A democratic society should look after the poorest and weakest in society
Having no benefit system would lead to an increase in crime as poor people need to get money somehow
Some people deserve help – the disabled, lone parents, unemployed etc.
Anyone can face difficulties such as becoming unemployed or developing a health problem and so they should be entitled to help
The government should be responsible for creating jobs and helping people get jobs
Children should not suffer because of their parents’ mistakes
The system creates equality
Why should people that work have to pay for people that don’t?
Why should people have to pay for drug addicts, alcoholics etc. to get benefits when they choose to become addicts?
People on benefits are “laughing at” people who go to work
People should take responsibility for their own actions – not look to the government for everything
The system costs too much - taxes would be better spent on other things like improving education and healthcare
People cheat the benefit system by working and claiming benefits
The benefits system encourages people to be lazy
Turn into a cut and paste task

17. Tackling Poverty

18. Tackling Poverty
You need to know about what is happening to tackle poverty. This is the responsibility of:
Central Government (London)
The Scottish Parliament
Local Authorities (Councils)
Voluntary Sector

19. Central Government
The UK Government’s Department of Work and Pensions are responsible for providing people in need in the UK with financial support. Some of these benefits have been around for a long time and are listed below. However, the coalition government are introducing a Universal Credit as part of their welfare reforms.
Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
Income Support
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (Formerly Incapacity Benefit)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Cold Weather Payment
Winter Fuel Payment
Sure Start Maternity Grant
Community Care Grant
Social Fund
Tax Credits
Minimum Wage

21. The Jobcentre This helps people who are out of work to find work.
Also helps people to claim benefits.
Unemployed people can use this service to arrange mock interviews, look at job vacancies and meet with special job advisors.

22. Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
This is the main benefit for people who are out of work.
Must be looking for work or working under 16 hours per week and be over 18.
To keep getting JSA you must go to a Jobcentre office every two weeks to show how you’ve been searching for a job. This is known as ‘signing on’.

23. Income Support
This is extra money to help people on a low income and people working less than 16 hours per week.
It is for people who don’t have to sign on as being unemployed.

24. Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
This is financial help to people who are unable to work because of illness or disability.
Aims to help people into work.
Evidence suggests people who work are in better health.

25. Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
For people who have severe difficulty walking, need help getting around or need to be looked after.

26. Cold Weather Payment
Money towards heating costs during very cold weather.
Available to people on income support, JSA, ESA or Pension Credit.
Payment of £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.

27. 7. Winter Fuel Payment
An extra payment to help older people with the cost of heating bills.
Amount paid depends on a person’s circumstances.
Payments range from £100 to £300.

28. The cost of providing benefits for people out of work has risen constantly over the last several decades.

29. Cost of benefits

30. 8. Universal Credit
Universal Credit is a new benefit that has started to replace 6 existing benefits with a single monthly payment into your account. Universal Credit will help you to be better off in work, start a new job or work more hours.
Universal Credit will eventually replace:
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income Support
Working Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit
Housing Benefit

31. 8. Universal Credit
At this time, your eligibility to claim Universal Credit depends on where you live and your personal circumstances.
Universal Credit started to be introduced in stages from April 2013.
The plan is to make Universal Credit available in each part of Great Britain during New claims to existing benefits, which Universal Credit is replacing, will then close down, with the vast majority of claimants moving onto Universal Credit during 2016 and 2017.
There are no limits to the number of hours you can work a week. Your Universal Credit payment will reduce gradually as you earn more - you won’t lose all your benefits at once if you’re on a low income.

32. Impact?
The government estimates 3.1 million households will be entitled to more benefits as a result of universal credit.
2.8 million households will be entitled to less, but will receive a top-up payment to protect them from a drop in income.
New claimants will receive the lower payment.
Across all households, ministers say there will be an average gain of £16 per month.

33. 8. Universal Credit
How much people receive depends on their personal circumstances. Universal Credit is paid differently to current benefits. It’ll be paid once a month into a persons bank or building society account.
Any help people get with rent will be included with their Universal Credit payment and then they pay the landlord yourself.
People have to sign a ‘Claimant Commitment’ to make a claim for Universal Credit. The individual and their ‘work coach’ will decide what goes into the Claimant Commitment, e.g.:
what you need to do to look for work (e.g. registering with recruitment agencies, writing a CV)
how many hours you need to spend looking for work each week
your circumstances (e.g. work history, health, family or caring responsibilities)
Your benefit might be cut if you don’t do what’s in your Claimant Commitment.

34. Critics of Universal Credit
The government thinks this will help promote good budgeting and more closely replicate monthly salary payments – arguing that 75% of all employees receive wages monthly. "This will help smooth the transition into monthly paid work, encourage claimants to take personal responsibility for their finances and to budget on a monthly basis which could save households money.
Campaigners are worried that the shift from weekly and fortnightly payments to this new regime may push claimants recipients into debt.
The National Housing Federation says the shift from paying landlords to paying claimants direct for the housing benefit element could trigger unprecedented levels of arrears and increased rent collection costs
84% of associations believe that rent arrears will increase as a direct result of welfare changes.
BBC obtained figures that showed when the direct payments were piloted in six areas of the country there was a big rise in rent arrears as some tenants failed to pass that money on, with arrears rising from about 2% to 11%.

36. Tackling Poverty

37. The Scottish Parliament
Aims of Scottish Parliament
Scotland's Regeneration Strategy
Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS)
Scottish Child Poverty Strategy

38. Aims of Scottish Parliament
Aims to target all areas to do with poverty – not just income.
Works to improve health, housing, educational attainment, employability and access to services.
Solidarity Target – “To increase overall income and the proportion of income earned by the lowest three deciles as a group by 2017”.

39. Aims of Scottish Parliament
Aims to simplify benefits
End the so-called “benefit trap”
Free childcare
Tackle fuel poverty
Improve social housing
Increase opportunities for apprenticeships

40. Aims of Scottish Parliament
More Choices more Chances
Targets young people between 16 and 19.
Aim is to get them back into education, employment or training.

41. Scotland’s Regeneration Strategy
Scotland's Regeneration Strategy sets out a £175 million programme of investment to support the country's most disadvantaged communities, transforming the prospects of the people who live there.

42. Universal Home Insulation Scheme
This is interest free loans for more expensive insulation measures including boiler replacement to improve energy efficiency.
£12.5 million which was invested by the Scottish Government in September 2011.

43. Scottish Child Poverty Strategy
Aim is to reduce child poverty by maximising household resources and improving children’s life chances.

44. Tackling Poverty

45. Local Authorities Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Affordable Warmth Dividend (Glasgow)

46. Housing and Council Tax Benefit
This is help towards paying rent and council tax and is available to people on low incomes.

47. Affordable Warmth Dividend
This is a scheme operated by Glasgow City Council to assist residents of the city who are 80 years of age and older with additional costs associated with winter.
£100 affordable warmth dividend is part of efforts to wipe out fuel poverty in Glasgow.

48. Tackling Poverty

49. Voluntary Sector/ Pressure Groups
Child Poverty Action Group
Shelter
Save the Children

50. Child Poverty Action Group
CPAG campaigns use evidence of the hard realities facing children in low-income families to call for changes that will help end child poverty.
Support from the public helps strengthen their campaigns and reach decision-makers.
CPAG in Scotland took a lead role in the campaign for free school meals, which was launched in 2001 to persuade the Scottish Parliament to introduce universal free school meals and therefore ensure that every child in Scotland has at least one decent nutritious meal a day.

51. Child Poverty Action Group
1 in 4 children in Scotland live in some kind of poverty.
CPAG seeks to raise awareness of and tackle child poverty in Scotland.
CPAG offer advice to families and produce publications.
For example, CPAG helps families claim certain benefits such as tax credits.

52. Child Poverty Action Group
CPAG in Scotland works with other Scottish members of the End Child Poverty campaign - a coalition of 150 organisations from civic society including children’s charities, child welfare organisations, social justice groups, faith the vision of a UK free of child poverty.

53. Shelter This is a charity which tackles homelessness and poor housing
Shelter gives advice, information and campaigns for political change
They lobby the government and encourage them to do more and change policies to assist the homeless and those in poor housing

54. Tackling Poverty

55. I can…
I will be able to identify the different aspects of the benefits system in Britain today
I will be able to identify what different organisations are doing to tackle poverty
I will be able to reach a judgement as to whether or not the benefits system is too harsh or too generous

56. UK Welfare Attitudes
- attitudes survey by The Guardian