Crisis gives cautious welcome to welfare reform plans
30 July 2010
Crisis gives cautious welcome to welfare reform plans, but warns that it must lead to a better benefit system not crude cuts
Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people cautiously welcomed the welfare reform consultation paper published by the DWP, while warning that cuts to housing benefit could undermine the aim of protecting the most vulnerable and helping people move back into work.
Leslie Morphy, Chief Executive of national homelessness charity Crisis, said:
"Many of the people that Crisis works with to help them improve their skills and move towards work find that they would be no better off in work than they are on benefits. Crisis has therefore long been calling for radical reform of the benefit system to reduce its complexity and ensure that it supports people to move into and progress in work - in particular by reducing the rates at which benefits are withdrawn. This welfare reform consultation paper published today by the Government is a welcome first step in that direction.
"The devil, however will clearly be in the detail and it is vital that this is about better ways of helping people, not about making cuts to benefits. Today's paper is also uncosted and the work that Iain Duncan Smith himself did at the Centre for Social Justice showed that significant short term investment of several billion pounds is needed to make long term savings on welfare.
"It is vital therefore that any reform is properly funded and that benefits remain of a fair and sufficient level for those who cannot find work. We are also extremely concerned that the sweeping cuts to local housing allowance and housing benefit already announced will lead directly to an increase in homelessness and push people even further from the labour market, particularly across the capital - and thus pre-empt and work directly against what Ian Duncan Smith claims today he is trying to achieve."
For further media information or request an interview with Crisis spokespeople, please contact Alex Kennedy / Garry Lemon at Crisis on 020 7426 3863 or 07973 372 587 or alex.kennedy@crisis.org.uk
Ends
Notes to editors
The consultation paper can be found here: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/21st-century-welfare.pdf
Background on Crisis
Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. We are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. Our innovative education, employment, housing and well-being services address individual needs and help people to transform their lives. We are determined campaigners, working to prevent people from becoming homeless and advocating solutions informed by research and our direct experience. We have ambitious plans for the future and are committed to help more people in more places across the UK. We know we won't end homelessness overnight or on our own. But we take a lead, collaborate with others and, together, make change happen.
