Legislation to give councils responsibility for emergency poverty payments contravenes social work values, and would harm practitioners' relationships with service users and deepen poverty.
That was the warning from welfare rights experts after the government included plans to localise the payment of discretionary community care grants and crisis loans under the Social Fund in the Welfare Reform Bill, published last week.
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Welfare rights experts slam poverty payment plans
Fears for social work role as councils take over poverty fund
The government is planning to hand councils responsibility for Social Fund poverty grants designed help people live independently. The move has prompted concerns about social workers' role from BASW's Ruth Cartwright (pictured) and other sector heads.
Sickness benefit reforms will not work, warn experts
Changes to sickness benefit assessments, announced yesterday, will not make the system fit for purpose and cannot be delivered before the government starts reassessing 1.5m existing claimants, experts have warned.
Housing benefit cuts ‘risk increases to homelessness’
Plans to cut housing benefit in yesterday's Budget risk increasing homelessness and demand for social services, experts have warned.
Adult social care green paper: expert opinion
Some of the foremost experts from the world of social care comment on the implications of the adult social care green paper.
Welfare rights: Making allowances
Gary Vaux outlines the incapacity tests that are coming in next year as part of benefit reforms
US case of disabled girl throws up ethical debate. Bob Benson and Martin Ward Platt take their positions on the case of Ashley X
The case of Ashley X has divided public opinion. The severely disabled girl’s parents sought surgery to restrict her growth when she was six-years-old to enable them to care for her better. Ashley is now nine and her treatment was…
Disability: Banks and accessibility
The system of direct payments has highlighted how difficult it is for disabled people to open anduse a bank account. Now user pressure has led some banks to offer new facilities, says Mark Hunter
Question from Community Care: Jobcentre Plus: Poor service continues
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Practising Welfare Rights
I have a confession to make, that I probably should have mentioned when asked to review this book - I am listed in the acknowledgements because I commented on the rough draft of a few chapters of this book, writes Gary Vaux.
Questions from Community Care – Do the claims stand up
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Waiting for Gordon
The Turner Commission’s proposals have reignited the debate about how best to tackle pensioner poverty, the means test and the impact of inequality. So which way will chancellor Gordon Brown jump? Mark Ivory examines the issues
Sites for sore eyes
Welfare Rights: The internet is a useful source of benefits advice. Here, Gary Vaux provides examples
Warning of advocacy role under threat
Joint teams of government pension services and local authority social services staff will undermine the advocacy role of social workers and other council employees, a welfare rights specialist has warned.
Pension helpline giving ‘bad advice’
Many people who attempted to apply for the pension credit, launched this week, were given bad advice by the government helpline, according to new research.
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‘Dear Sajid Javid: please end the inappropriate detention of autistic people and those with learning disabilities’
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