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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Employment up – but so are prices, as wage growth slows
UK employment is on the rise – but so are prices. And the growth of wages is continuing to slow. Are we in the middle of a massive #payfail? Here’s the three things you need to know.
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Jackie Long
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Ed Miliband sets out plans to cut benefits for young jobless
Unemployed youngsters should be stripped of out-of-work benefits unless they agree to training in vital skills, Labour leader Ed Miliband says.
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Paul Mason
Economic recovery fuelled by cheap labour
Strong jobs growth continues as UK unemployment rate falls – but wage data show prices continue to rise much faster than pay packets.
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‘Cost of living crisis’ returns to haunt government
Unemployment continues to fall, but pay growth drops significantly – despite government hopes that the so-called “cost of living crisis” is coming to an end.
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The 20-year-old who ‘became a statistic’ and killed himself
Martin Hadfield’s parents put the 20-year-old’s suicide down to his struggle to find a job. He is not alone, and The Samaritans say there is a lack of “safety net” after this recession.
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Why not everyone is benefiting from economic growth
After years in the doldrums, Britain appears to be in the midst of sustainable growth. But it’s not good news all round.
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Help to work: fulfilling potential or unpaid labour?
The “help to work” programme comes into effect today, meaning the long-term unemployed face having their benefits cut unless they visit a Jobcentre every day.
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Matt Frei
Facing the harsh economic truth: Spain’s brain drain
We may be seeing the green shoots of recovery come into full bloom – but parts of Europe still languish.
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Jackie Long
The unexpected costs of the ‘welfare revolution’
If the government’s “welfare revolution” is to work , then it has to work in places like Torfaen, a south Wales community where direct payments are being trialled.
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Jackie Long
Families hit hard by scrapping of council tax benefits
If you’re one of the 2.34 million low-income families who used to get council tax benefit, you’ll be paying on average £149 more in council tax this year than just over a year ago.
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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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Jackie Long
Budget brings storm clouds to Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight on the Wirral lives up to its status as a model village, with wide tree lined roads and pristine gardens. That’s despite, not because of, the economy, residents say.
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Up to a third of jobs on government website are suspect
An investigation by Channel 4 News finds that as many as one-in-three jobs now advertised on the government’s Universal Jobmatch website are suspect.
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Why some apprenticeships fall short
A new report says 300,000 more apprentices would add £4bn to the British economy. But despite their glossy endorsements, some big firms are failing in the training and remuneration they offer.
