Jackie Long
The end of the spare room subsidy? No
Rachel Reeves’ optimism and excitement are perhaps a little premature, even after today’s government defeat in parliament over reform of the spare room subsidy.
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FactCheck: how many benefits claimants are addicts?
Iain Duncan Smith wants to see benefits loaded onto cards to stop claimants spending cash on drugs and booze. How big is the problem?
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Jackie Long
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Jackie Long
What do Richard Gere and Iain Duncan Smith have in common?
Writing about Universal Credit is a bit like writing about a celebrity marriage. You know it’s in trouble , you just don’t know how much or exactly why.
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FactCheck: Work Programme still under pressure to prove its worth
The government’s back-to-work programme is praised by ministers but damned as a failure by the unions. FactCheck referees.
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FactCheck: The Work Programme is improving – but it still fails the sick and disabled
The latest figures from the Work Programme have been hailed as a success by the government – and a resounding failure by Labour and the unions. FactCheck cuts through the spin.
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Jackie Long
Official: Work Programme gets 3.5 per cent into work
The Work Programme figures are not a disaster, says the employment minister. But not one of the 18 providers met the government’s end of first year minimum target on sustainable work.
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Jackie Long
Tougher work-experience scheme may prove to be no joke
Employment Minister Chris Grayling is planning a tougher work-experience system for young people… but will unemployed graduates feel the benefit?
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Jackie Long
Is the Work Programme working?
Social Affairs Editor Jackie Long investigates what the numbers supplied by the government say about the success of its Work Programme.
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Jackie Long
Children enduring the ‘boring’ business of being poor
As the government decides to change the way that poverty is measured, Jackie Long writes about the “boring” business of being poor.
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FactCheck Q&A: Minimum wage v Living Wage
Iain Duncan Smith may have said he wants to make work pay, but the department for work and pensions has been written to by its own cleaners who say they aren’t paid enough to live on. FactCheck looks at their demands for a “living wage”.
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FactCheck update: DWP fail to explain disappearing “workfare” document
“Confusion reigns, and despite repeated phone calls and several days to think about it, DWP has declined to clarify the situation.”
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Michael Crick
Will benefits rise more slowly now 50p tax rate is to stay?
Today’s remarks by both David Cameron and George Osborne that the Chancellor won’t abolish the 50p tax rate in his autumn statement at the end of this month (levied on incomes of more than £150,000) have an important knock-on effect reports Michael Crick.