Welfare and benefits system webchat

28 March 2007

Jim Murphy answered your questions about welfare reform.

Thanks to everyone who joined our webchat with the minister. You can find the transcript below.

Read the transcript

Rueben: You are going to spend £150 million "lifting children out of poverty" - long overdue. But the number of children in absolute poverty remains unchanged - how will this extra cash tackle this national scandal?

Jim replies: 

Hi Reuben

We are determined to lift all children out of poverty. The main way of doing that is through more families having the chance to work and work that pays well. It is important that parents also have the chance to work flexibly so that they can also support their children. That is a significant part of our refreshed child poverty strategy.

The UK has has had the fastest falling child poverty rates in Europe whereas before we had the fastest rising levels through the 1980s and parts of the 90s. But we know we need to do more and we are detemined to do so.

Jim

Margot Bowker: Excluding pensioners who have earned their privileges, why should anyone get money for nothing? Surely, everybody has something to contribute to the society they rely upon for support.

Jim replies: 

Thanks Margot

The main achievements are that two and a half million more people are in work. Financial support such as the national minimum wage and tax credits ensures those in lower income groups are lifted out of poverty. But the biggest achievement in the long term is lifting kids out of poverty because that's a long term investment for the next generation and the type of society we want in the future - no child having to live with poverty through their childhood and into adulthood.

The main area we have to do more supporting more people who have very few qualifications to get the skills to get into work. That is the next big challenge for us.

Jim

Hannah: The Freud report recommends that lone parents be expected to return to work when their child is 12, rather than the current age of 16. What will this mean for parents whose child is disabled? Lone parents are often full
time carers. Further, as their child gets older the care their child need may be more not less. Isn't it more crucial that the issue of accessibility and affordability of childcare for disabled children be addressed?

Jim replies: 

Thanks Hannah

We are going to support more lone parents to get into work and as part of the new support we will ask lone prents whose youngest child is 12 to be looking for work. At the moment that only applies when the child is 16.

I was in the United States last week where I learned that lone parents have to look for work when their child is 3 months old! We should never do that here. But in much of Europe the age level is about 5.

I think we have to be very careful about what we ask parents of disabled children to do. We will provide lone parents with disabled kids with appropriate support. We welcome views on what that support should be. Hope that reassures you and others.

Ben Bamber: Why can't people on benefits earn more than £20 per week, and therefore be motivated to come into the tax system, rather than operating in the black economy? A life on benefits means a life in poverty, and it isn't good enough that the government stops low income families from earning a little extra when the opportunity comes along, but only that they are treated like criminals.

Jim replies: 

Thanks for your comments Ben

You are right that the best way out of poverty is by moving into work particularly because we measure poverty in the UK as 60% of median income which is now £332 after tax for a couple with 2 kids (aged 5-14). We announced yesterday that we will be providing more support for lone parents moving into work. We also announced last week that we are changing the permitted work rules so that people on incapacity benefit can keep more of what they earn when they move into work.

You can find out about all of these plans on our website

Helen Ashmore: Can you tell me what reforms you are going to make to the benefits system in order to help, rather than penalise, single parents? I am a 31 year old single mother with debts from my failed relationship and cannot manage on benefits so am getting further into debt merely to survive. At the moment the system does not help people like me because of the way that benefits are calculated - ie I can work for up to 16 hours but can only earn an extra £20 per week for doing so, and should I go over the 16 hours then my housing/council tax benefits shrink considerably. I desperatley want to work but cannot afford to do so. Please tell me how you are going to help the thousands of people like me. Thank you.

Jim replies: 

Dear Helen

Thanks for your email. As you will know our approach is to ensure that work pays. That is why we are investing more in financial support such as child benefit and tax credits, child care and Sure Start. The additional support announced yesterday will help many lone parents particularly in London where we recognise there are higher costs. Importantly we have also announced new plans for child maintenance; ensuring parents with care receive maintenance will help in our aim of reducing child poverty further.

All of this and other measures may assist you, but because I don't know all of your details I can't be more specific. However you could get in touch again or contact a lone parent personal advisor at Jobcentre Plus.

Sorry I can't be more specific but it is the nature of these online conversations that I don't ask people for personal information.

kerry: why are'nt people on unemployment benefits given work to do if they claim they cannot get a job - there are plenty of jobs that need doing in and around the communities of Britain, jobs that the local councils seem unable to complete. People should be made to do some kind of work for their benefits instead of it being a 'money for nothing' system.

Jim replies: 

Hello Kerry

Someone has just emailed to say they are away to watch Countdown as I'm too slow at responding, but I am doing this a s quickly as my poor keyboard skills allow!

Other countries already do this type of "Work for the Dole" type policy. It's not something that the Government has ever done. Our preferred approach has been the highly successful New Deal which aims to give people the chance to develop skills so that they can get off the dole and into work. It has helped more than 1.7 million into work.

Stella Musiyiwa: Why is there no communication between sections of benefits; for example housing benefit, income support and job seeker?

Jim replies: 

Thanks Stella

We have introduced some improvements recently. We have a single phone number for everyone to contact regarding all working age benefits.

The better co-ordination requires us to join up our various databases. We can provide significantly improved customer service if we can meet the needs of the whole customer. In practical terms this will mean giving information once to claim a series of benefits.

Some people say that this may contravene their right to privacy. But I don't agree. We can do this carefully and with protection that safeguards individual information.

Brian Edmonds: If the Government wishes to reduce child poverty, why doesn't impose an obligation on the father rather than the tax payer to support a child?

A child should be considered a lifetime obligation.

Jim replies: 

Thanks Brian

As we all know relationships end but responsibilities never do. We are reforming the CSA to get more money to children more quickly. I also want to look at ways that we can get more non-resident parents into work because that way they should do more to lift their kids out of poverty than being on benefit. If you have any specific suggestions about what more we should do get in touch again via my blog.

kate upcraft: Can you confirm when the government will publish its plans to reform SSP after scrapping its proposals in last year's green paper?

Jim replies: 

Thanks Kate

We are reviewing Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) at the moment. I can't recall the exact date but will post details on the DWP website. We are also currently reviewing the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit to make it more relevant to today's world of work rather than how things were done 60 or so years ago when it was introduced.

abdi: I am very happy about the idea of welfare reform which will benefit alot of people in the Uk.

my question what measures do have in place for the most deprived community in like somali community who have problem finding jobs.

Jim replies: 

Hello Abdi

One of the big problems that many unemployed people from ethnic minorities face is that they do not have language skills to get them through an interview to get a job. That  is why I announced new plans last month for additional investment for language skills top help people to get into work. This is the latest in a range of support for ethnic minority groups.

You can details from your local Jobcentre Plus office.

michelle richards: Hi, why is fms (fibromyalgia) or ME not recognised by the DLA? they are still illnesses and the people who have these illnesses shouldnt be thrown to the bottom of the pile or treated like they are fakes!

Jim replies: 

Hello Michelle

Being able to receive DLA is based on the effect that a condition has on the individual person - rather than what the actual condition is. So basically if someone with ME meets the criteria for the benefit then they will receive it.

Maggie Brown: Why is the system for claiming benefits now by phone? and why is it that when very needy people who do not sometimes have access to a phone have to go through this process for example Crisis loans? one of our clients spent over 3 hours trying to get through to the crisis loan line. She gave up in the end, is this deliberate so that less benefits are claimed because people in the end give up.

Jim replies: 

Maggie

We want to do the opposite. We want everyone who is entitled to get their benefits as quickly as possible. That is why we announced that we will introduce a single freephone number for all working age benefits. We also run claim it campaigns to increase take up.

If you are having difficulties may I suggest that you get in touch with your local MP as we also announced new plans to improve the service to MPs so that they can take up constituents cases.

Welshdragon: Why are not us pensioners who want to return to work given more help to find suitable employment

Jim replies: 

Dear WelshDragon

I am making an assumption about where you live based on your "name" but I was in South Wales recently to discuss this. I know that many people want to extend their working lives. We're working with employers to encourage them to take on more older workers.

It's working. The big increase in employment over the past year has been amongst the over 50s with 200,000 more in work. We aim  to do much more to support a million older workers to get back into work. The reforms to Incapacity Benefit are part of that. Again more details on my blog.

Jill Collinson: I am surprised every week when I hear local HR managers and recruiters telling me that the only way they can provide sufficient numbers of staff to ensure their organisations can operate is to secure staff from outside the UK. This is despite having a comparatively high level of unemployment in the area (Hull and Humberside). It is recognised that the benefit system constitutes a perverse incentive for claimants to seek work as many are significantly 'better off' than they would be if working. The few unemployed applicants that do express interest are very clear about this too and as such 'working' has become a 'lifestyle option' transmitted from generation to generation rather than a financial and social imperative. How can the minister see this problem being tackled?

Jim replies: 

Thanks Jill

There are currently more than 600,000 job vacancies in the UK some of which are taken up by migrants from Eastern Europe.  Our employment rate is the highest in Europe. One of our challenges is to ensure we fill these jobs.

The solution is to improve the skills of the population so that they can compete and also to see what more we can do in the welfare system to be better at matching those who are out of work with the vacancies.

Mary Howard:  Hello, What DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN YOUR BEST ACHIVMENT SINCE BEING IN YOUR JOB?

Jim replies: 

Mary

Potentially the biggest success is I think the refreshed child poverty strategy from yesterday. It has the real potential to improve the life chances of very many people.

But the less high profile but really important change is in the suopport to those who suffer from mesothelioma. This is a dreadful illness and we have announced new plans to get quicker compensation to everyone more quickly . We also announced that those who contract it second hand  from asbestos on a father's or husband's overalls can for the first time get compensation. Until now if you contracted it from inhaling asbestos while washing a relative's clothes you couldn't get support. That will now change. It doesn't catch the news headlines but it is really important for many families affected.

Jim says: 

Thanks everyone for your questions. Hope you found some of the answers of interest. My typing skills meant I couldn't get through all of the questions. Hope some of you stayed with it throughout and didn't all go off to watch Countdown!

To continue the conversation visit my blog.