On 19 June Ed Miliband outlined Labour’s welfare reform proposing to deny some young unemployed people benefits dependent on their willingness to partake in training. His proposal is that those people under the age of 21 who are applying for Job Seekers Allowance and are not trained should have to […]

We’ve witnessed the growth of programmes such as ‘Benefits and Proud’; ‘Benefits Britain and Skint’ – if only there was an NTA award for the programme that made Britain angriest. “And the WINNER is…’Benefit Street” – achieving most complaints to both OfCom and the police.” Every single hour of airtime is achieving […]

By the skin of my teeth, I’ve just avoided redundancy for the third time in two years. Welcome to the wonderful world of work! Time was, back before we had our first female prime minister – no names mentioned –  you really could finish one job on a Friday and start a […]

I haven’t quite yet finished my degree – I’m just about to finish my second year reading Welsh and Politics at Cardiff University – but I am educated. I got 460 UCAS points, thank you very much. I’m the type of person who listens to Classic FM when I’m writing […]

Maybe Mick Philpott had too much time on his hands, what with him not having a job. Perhaps that is why he came up with a plot to set fire to his own house so that he could rescue his children and blame the fire on his ex-girlfriend. If you […]

Between April and November last year, 13,500 people visited food banks in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, mostly people who are in work. As benefits are cut for the unemployed and for working people, food banks are likely to become a set feature of our society, with charities expected to […]

Firstly, I am not condemning the benefits system in its entirety; please do not mistake this. I am criticizing the approach toward work Sallie Bruce purported to have in her article. I am compelled to post a response as I am concerned many think her argument is logical and valid. […]

It is easy to criticise people on benefits for not wanting to work but there is another side which nobody talks about, a side I have first-hand experience with. What actually happens when you’re the unlucky one out of a job, unable to pay your rent and now at the […]