Welfare reforms will increase pressure on parents - CPAG » Education » 24dash.com

"Better support and decent jobs, not pressure and threats are the way to tackle child poverty"

Responding to the leaked draft of the welfare reform green paper 'No one written off: reforming the welfare state to reward responsibility', Kate Green, Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group said; "While welcoming the reiterated commitment to a society free of child poverty, many of these proposals increase pressure on parents and disabled people - if so many who are not working want employment then there is absolutely no need to ratchet up conditions and threats.

"A better strategy is to ensure decent jobs with decent conditions. Rushing parents into inappropriate jobs risks poverty pay and jobs which undermine family responsibilities.

"The full disregard of child maintenance received will help the children of lone parents, a group which faces a great risk of poverty"

"The proposed resurrection of David Freud's controversial proposal to privatise welfare to work provision for the most disadvantaged will cause concern. Providers paid by results may not have the best interests of claimants at heart - we need guarantees the profit motive will not trump fairness in the system."