1. The document discusses flaws in the current UK welfare system and proposals for reform, arguing that the system overly taxes and stigmatizes the poor.
2. It proposes an alternative "Family Security System" with a universal basic income, fair taxes for all, and a focus on supporting women and families.
3. Key recommendations include establishing legal rights to realize human rights principles, making the income security system universal, and shifting power back to local communities through personalized support systems.
Christianity and Social Justice: exploring the meaning of welfare reformCitizen Network
This presentation was given to the Archbishop of York and to bishops from the North East of England and Yorkshire. It explores the current crisis in the welfare state in the UK, the myths that dominate thinking and outlines the Christian case for some new and deeper thinking about the purpose and design of the welfare state.
Citizen Network Australia was formally launched in Perth, WA on 21st August 2017. These slides were presented by Leanne Pearman, Rosie Lawn and Simon Duffy.
Slides from a day-long workshop with My Place - a leading personalised support organisation in Perth, WA. The workshop explores the meaning of inclusion and citizenship and the threats and opportunities that lie ahead of us.
Christianity and Social Justice: exploring the meaning of welfare reformCitizen Network
This presentation was given to the Archbishop of York and to bishops from the North East of England and Yorkshire. It explores the current crisis in the welfare state in the UK, the myths that dominate thinking and outlines the Christian case for some new and deeper thinking about the purpose and design of the welfare state.
Citizen Network Australia was formally launched in Perth, WA on 21st August 2017. These slides were presented by Leanne Pearman, Rosie Lawn and Simon Duffy.
Slides from a day-long workshop with My Place - a leading personalised support organisation in Perth, WA. The workshop explores the meaning of inclusion and citizenship and the threats and opportunities that lie ahead of us.
People with Disabilities and the Right to Community LivingCitizen Network
David Towell outlines three keys to citizenship and three pathways to positive change in the lives of people with learning disabilities and in our communities.
Dr Simon Duffy gave this talk at a seminar organised by the Erasmus+ funded project the SDS Network which shares expertise on self-directed support globally. The talk explains why human and disability rights support a shift towards Self-Directed Support.
Vicserv hosted an event on the true meaning of control and choice. Simon Duffy explores how control and choice should be seen as a part of building citizenship for all and moving way from institutional responses to need.
Dr Simon Duffy, of the Centre for Welfare Reform and Citizen Network gave this talk in Madison, Wisconsin on behalf of In Control Wisconsin. He explores the values, laws and social systems that support respect for ourselves as we age. He proposes that there are dark threats that require different levels of thinking and action - we need to get back to the foundational importance of love, family and community.
Talk by Dr Simon Duffy for AACQA on equal citizenship and aged care systems. Dr Duffy explores the meaning of citizenship and the problems inherent in support systems that are not focused on community inclusion.
A Taxation and Benefits System to End Child Poverty - John DickieOxfam GB
John Dickie, head of the Child Poverty Action Group Scotland, talks about how a different taxation and benefits system can help end child poverty.
The Whose Economy? seminars, organised by Oxfam Scotland and the University of the West of Scotland, brought together experts to look at recent changes in the Scottish economy and their impact on Scotland's most vulnerable communities.
Held over winter and spring 2010-11 in Edinburgh, Inverness, Glasgow and Stirling, the series posed the question of what economy is being created in Scotland and, specifically, for whom?
To find out more and view other Whose Economy? papers, presentations and videos visit:
http://www.oxfamblogs.org/ukpovertypost/whose-economy-seminar-series-winter-2010-spring-2011/
Consumers or Citizens, Families, and Communities in ControlCitizen Network
Simon Duffy gave this talk as part of the join PECCC community organisation hosted by Vicserv, COTA, Valid, Carers Australia Vic, FSSI, Health Issues Centre and VMIAC. This talk begins a programme to explore the true meaning of choice and control and an exploration of how different communities can work together to create better community solutions.
Inclusive neighbourhoods: Promoting social inclusion in housing with care and...ILC- UK
With an ageing population, the demand for housing options that provide on-site care and support for older adults is growing and expected to continue to rise.
However, not much is known about how these living environments support older residents from social minorities.
This presentation summarises the Inclusive Neighbourhoods policy report, which finds that:
- Housing with care schemes work well in counteracting social isolation and preventing loneliness
- Pockets of isolation still exist among some residents, particularly people from social minorities
The role of Social Work in India in assessing and protecting people in need. ...Bimal Antony
This is an essay which presents the following two points.
1. The role of Social Work in India in assessing and protecting people in need.
2. The extent to which Social Work changed over the last 40 years and factors that contributed to some of these changes.
CSCR Community Track #2: Community Resilience: Elan Shapiro and Eldred Harris...Sustainable Tompkins
Climate Smart & Climate Ready Conference Community Track #2 on April 20, 2013 at Tompkins County Public Library in Ithaca, NY. Elan Shapiro and Eldred Harris, Building Bridges. Community Resilience: Developing an Inclusive and Regenerative Strategy.
Research to Policy seminars - Intergenerational Relations in Challenging TimesILC- UK
Chaired by Clive Bolton, ILC-UK Advisor, this seminar presents a range of perspectives on intergenerational relations, seeking to stimulate a debate that is better grounded in and informed by the available evidence.
People with Disabilities and the Right to Community LivingCitizen Network
David Towell outlines three keys to citizenship and three pathways to positive change in the lives of people with learning disabilities and in our communities.
Dr Simon Duffy gave this talk at a seminar organised by the Erasmus+ funded project the SDS Network which shares expertise on self-directed support globally. The talk explains why human and disability rights support a shift towards Self-Directed Support.
Vicserv hosted an event on the true meaning of control and choice. Simon Duffy explores how control and choice should be seen as a part of building citizenship for all and moving way from institutional responses to need.
Dr Simon Duffy, of the Centre for Welfare Reform and Citizen Network gave this talk in Madison, Wisconsin on behalf of In Control Wisconsin. He explores the values, laws and social systems that support respect for ourselves as we age. He proposes that there are dark threats that require different levels of thinking and action - we need to get back to the foundational importance of love, family and community.
Talk by Dr Simon Duffy for AACQA on equal citizenship and aged care systems. Dr Duffy explores the meaning of citizenship and the problems inherent in support systems that are not focused on community inclusion.
A Taxation and Benefits System to End Child Poverty - John DickieOxfam GB
John Dickie, head of the Child Poverty Action Group Scotland, talks about how a different taxation and benefits system can help end child poverty.
The Whose Economy? seminars, organised by Oxfam Scotland and the University of the West of Scotland, brought together experts to look at recent changes in the Scottish economy and their impact on Scotland's most vulnerable communities.
Held over winter and spring 2010-11 in Edinburgh, Inverness, Glasgow and Stirling, the series posed the question of what economy is being created in Scotland and, specifically, for whom?
To find out more and view other Whose Economy? papers, presentations and videos visit:
http://www.oxfamblogs.org/ukpovertypost/whose-economy-seminar-series-winter-2010-spring-2011/
Consumers or Citizens, Families, and Communities in ControlCitizen Network
Simon Duffy gave this talk as part of the join PECCC community organisation hosted by Vicserv, COTA, Valid, Carers Australia Vic, FSSI, Health Issues Centre and VMIAC. This talk begins a programme to explore the true meaning of choice and control and an exploration of how different communities can work together to create better community solutions.
Inclusive neighbourhoods: Promoting social inclusion in housing with care and...ILC- UK
With an ageing population, the demand for housing options that provide on-site care and support for older adults is growing and expected to continue to rise.
However, not much is known about how these living environments support older residents from social minorities.
This presentation summarises the Inclusive Neighbourhoods policy report, which finds that:
- Housing with care schemes work well in counteracting social isolation and preventing loneliness
- Pockets of isolation still exist among some residents, particularly people from social minorities
The role of Social Work in India in assessing and protecting people in need. ...Bimal Antony
This is an essay which presents the following two points.
1. The role of Social Work in India in assessing and protecting people in need.
2. The extent to which Social Work changed over the last 40 years and factors that contributed to some of these changes.
CSCR Community Track #2: Community Resilience: Elan Shapiro and Eldred Harris...Sustainable Tompkins
Climate Smart & Climate Ready Conference Community Track #2 on April 20, 2013 at Tompkins County Public Library in Ithaca, NY. Elan Shapiro and Eldred Harris, Building Bridges. Community Resilience: Developing an Inclusive and Regenerative Strategy.
Research to Policy seminars - Intergenerational Relations in Challenging TimesILC- UK
Chaired by Clive Bolton, ILC-UK Advisor, this seminar presents a range of perspectives on intergenerational relations, seeking to stimulate a debate that is better grounded in and informed by the available evidence.
(166) launch of the centre (westminster, march 2011)Citizen Network
Slides from the Centre for Welfare Reform Westminster Launch on 24th March 2011- presentations from Simon Duffy, Pippa Murray, Clare Hyde, Craig Dearden-Phillips and Vidhya Alakeson
This talk for Sheffield's Citizen Advice Burea explores the lies behind the UK Government's account of welfare reform and offers thoughts on what real welfare reform might look like.
Dr Simon Duffy presented these slides to a meeting of the Socialist Health Association SHA) which was also joined by members of Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) on 18th June 2016. He proposed that the whole social care system was flawed and based on old-fashioned institutional models that were dangerous and undermined people's citizenship. He proposed radical reform and the creation of an effective right for independent living.
Dr Simon Duffy of the Centre for Welfare Reform describes the reality of welfare reform and describes the harm it is doing to already disadvantaged groups. He proposes that there is a better version of welfare reform that has not yet been explored.
Slides from talks given to Anglesey Council on how to develop Citizen Directed Support locally and in Wales. Covering (1) problems in design of welfare state (2) history of innovations (3) key ideas and reforms (4) challenge of making changes work.
Talk given to local authority Chief executives on the way in which local government could re-imagine its own role - with a real commitment to supporting citizenship.
This talk was given to some of those leading the design of Australia's NDIS and setting out international and English experience of achievements and pitfalls.
Dr Simon Duffy of the Centre for Welfare Reform and UBI Lab Sheffield talks to members of NAWRA (National Association of Welfare Rights Advisors) about why he thinks the conflict over social security will turn into a choice between Universal Credit and Basic Income Plus. He describes some of the benefits of Basic Income Plus and also shares new research on the principles that should underpin the welfare system.
This is the full set of slides given to people, families, services and state officials in South Australia. It includes the hopes and fears of people with disabilities about the forthcoming implementation of NDIS.
Similar to (175) real welfare reform (june 2011) (20)
Networked Energy: Energy independence for AlderneyCitizen Network
by Chris Cook and Marcus Saul, Island Power
As Research Fellows at the Institute for Strategy, Resilience and Security, at University College, London, Marcus Saul and Chris Cook researched and developed the Pacific Natural Grid resource resilience strategy.
Here they explain how Denmark has led the way in creating sustainable networks of community-based energy production and distribution.
This has been transformative for Denmark, enabling it to become independent from the oil and gas industry’s dominance. But it is also transformative for communities, who are now creating their own energy economies.
Dr Dave Beck gave this talk for Part 5 of the ‘Grassroots Policies for Farming, Food and Wildlife’ webinar series, hosted by Citizen Network.
In his presentation Dr Beck discusses the harms caused by the monopolisation of supermarkets in the food industry. He also explores the positive possibilities of local currencies.
Dr Beck is a Lecturer at the University of Salford, Manchester.
The webinar recording is available to watch on Citizen Network's website at: www.citizen-network.org
Simon Duffy gave this presentation at the final conference of the UNIC Project, in Brussels in September 2023, providing an overview of personal budgets and the challenges ahead.
Sabrina Espeleta of War on Want outlines the enormous and growing level of world hunger. She explains how a few global corporations control the vast majority of food production and supply and markets exploit the food market, leaving communities, especially in the Global South at great disadvantage. Local peasant farmers are now organising to achieve food sovereignty, seeking to farm in ways in harmony with nature and to meet local needs. The Global North needs to respect the rights and autonomy of these people rather than to continue the pattern of exploitation.
This presentation was given on 6 July in Part 4 of a webinar series on grassroots policies for farming, food and wildlife.
Watch the recording at: https://citizen-network.org
Simon Duffy was asked by the Mayor’s Greater Manchester Charity and UBI Lab Manchester to talk at a recent roundtable event on the relevance of Universal Basic Income (UBI) to the problem of homelessness.
These are the slides from that talk. In summary Duffy argued that UBI is relevant to reducing homelessness in two slightly different ways:
1. UBI would help prevent homelessness - UBI addresses the inequalities in income and housing that create the risk of homelessness.
2. UBI would help people escape homelessness - UBI gives people a vital tool which significantly helps people change their situation in times of crisis.
Find more free resources on basic income at: www.citizen-network.org
A presentation for the One Yorkshire Committee introducing Democratic Yorkshire - a voluntary alliance consisting of a group of organisations and individuals interested in planning a better future for our County through modern democratic means secured in a written constitution.
In this presentation exploring planning law, Laird Ryan talks us through the planning process, explores what we can and can't influence and helps us consider how best to create real, organic and local alliances that make the best use of our energy.
To find out more about the Neighbourhood Democracy Movement please visit: https://neighbourhooddemocracy.org
Citizenship is our Business - The Avivo StoryCitizen Network
Avivo is one of the founding organisations in Citizen Network. they are also pioneers in self-direction and personalised support in Australia. Over the past few years they have been reorganising themselves around the principle that everyone is a citizen - and supporting everyone, including paid staff, to be citizens is their central purpose. Avivo are also leading Citizen Network's Rethinking Organisations programme and networking with other organisations on this journey.
Dr Simon Duffy spoke to Doncaster's Mental Wellbeing Alliance about the importance of thinking about what good help really means. He explored the importance of shifting power, resources and thinking upstream.
Markus Vähälä, CEO of Citizen Network, outlined the development of the cooperative as a framework to support the further development of Citizen Network as part of the 2022 Building Citizen network Together events hosted by Eberswalde University.
At BuildingCitizen Network Together in early 2022 Simon Duffy and James Lock discussed the development of Citizen Network and its current approach to membership and explored with members from all around the world next steps for its development.
These slides are from a talk Dr Simon Duffy of Citizen Network gave to Café Economique in Leeds, making the case for basic income. The argument set out is that UBI is one necessary part of a range of reforms necessary to support citizenship and strengthen community life. This talk preceded a (rather fiery) debate with Anna Coote of NEF who argued against UBI.
Simon Duffy gave this talk for Radical Visions on home, citizenship, institutionalisation and neighbourhood democracy. He explains why institutions are wrong and what we might be do to end the drive towards institutionalisation.
A presentation for the Estia International Confernce in 2021 from Dr Simon Duffy exploring personal budgets, citizenship and community and the challenges for services aiming to work in partnership with people with disabilities in Greece.
An example of good practice in inclusion in employment from Slovenia, shared at the Day Centres Without Walls conference, hosted by JDC in Lithuania. Day Centres Without Walls is an Erasmus+ project funded by the EU.
1. Real Welfare Reform
or
One cheer for current government policy
by Dr Simon Duffy,
e Centre for
Welfare Reform,
Inside Government:
Welfare Reform Event
London 7th June 2011
2. The Centre for Welfare
• Independent Research & Development Network
• Founded upon belief in human equality and diversity
• A community of 50 Fellows
• Innovators who created individual budgets, self-
directed support, support planning etc...
• Publications available at
www.centreforwelfarereform.org
3. The Centre for Welfare
• Independent Research & Development Network
• Founded upon belief in human equality and diversity
• A community of 50 Fellows
• Innovators who created individual budgets, self-
directed support, support planning etc...
• Publications available at
www.centreforwelfarereform.org
working to
democratise the
7. the loud argument
• State = good • Markets = good
• Markets fail • States can’t plan
• Give help • Give choice
• Increase services • Cut taxes
that disguises
8. the quiet assumption of
• Meritocracy - society should be led by the ‘best’
people - politicians, civil servants or business men
• People can’t be trusted - people must be
governed by fear or greed
• Economic growth is the goal - growth creates
money for taxes and for profit
9. an alternative
• Democracy is vital - we cannot entrust our lives
into the hands of an elite
• Citizenship is the means - we must be trusted to
improve our own lives as part of our communities
• Social Justice is the goal - we need the rights and
duties that enable and support citizenship
current flawed
system includes...
11. Some things to keep in
1. e poor can be very poor indeed - the poorest must
live on £2,780 per year - compared to mean
household income of £50,000 per year (<6%).
2. e poor pay marginal taxes of around 100% on their
earnings and they pay more tax as a percentage of
their income than any other group (!!)
3. Poor lose income if they live together - 25% tax on IS
and have no incentive to save or invest.
4. e UK is the third most unequal society aer USA
and Portugal
12. One cheer - there is a
growing recognition that
the tax-benefit system is
1. e recognition that the poor are over-taxed
2. at the benefit system is unfair and unduly complex
3. at the benefit system is stigmatising
4. at the tax and benefit systems should be integrated
13. 137 different
ways...
to give people
not very
much...
•linked or not
•means-tested or
not
•tax credits or
benefits
•disability related
or not
•employment-
seeking or not
14. Government Strategy
• Integrate benefits
• Improve incentives to work
• Increase penalties for ‘non-compliance’
• New regime to test ‘disability’
• New providers to help people into work
15. Government Strategy
• Integrate benefits
• Improve incentives to work
• Increase penalties for ‘non-compliance’
• New regime to test ‘disability’
• New providers to help people into work
premise - poverty is largely
motivational in origin
16. One sigh - blaming the
poor gets you votes - ugly
• benefit thieves
• under-class
• feckless and work shy
• benefit dependency
• failing families
17. One sigh - blaming the
poor gets you votes - ugly
• benefit thieves
• under-class
• feckless and work shy
• benefit dependency
• failing families
the impossible problem of
the undeserving poor
18. Citizens Advice acknowledges that the £1.5 billion cost of
fraud in the benefit system must be recovered, but we are very
concerned at the government’s persistent tendency to roll fraud
and error figures together. Errors account for the remaining
£3.7 billion of the £5.2 billion figure quoted...
In the meantime, the £5 billion cost to government through
fraud and error is dwarfed by the £17 billion of benefits and
tax credits that remain un-claimed every year, because people
don’t know they are entitled to claim, or because the system is
too complicated. e danger of making benefits more difficult
to claim is that people in real need will not receive the money
they need to pay their rent, keep their families warm, or feed
their children.
Teresa Perchard , Director of Social Policy at Citizens Advice
21. 1.5 million people with the most
significant disabilities will lose:
• £4.6 billion in social care support
• £4 billion in disability living
allowance
• Termination of ILF
• Cuts to Supporting People
• Many further cuts in housing
support and other benefits
Services perceived as universal are protected: pensions,
NHS and schools - services that are perceived as
marginal are cut: social care, disability benefits,
community spending...
22. 1.5 million people with the most
significant disabilities will lose:
• £4.6 billion in social care support
• £4 billion in disability living
allowance
• Termination of ILF
• Cuts to Supporting People
• Many further cuts in housing
support and other benefits
Services perceived as universal are protected: pensions,
NHS and schools - services that are perceived as
marginal are cut: social care, disability benefits,
community spending...
BUT they may not get away with it
www.campaignforasociety.org
23. An alternative
• Growth has undermined older systems of security
(the land, the Church, the family or the firm).
• Growth will never provider sufficient income to
keep the poorest from unacceptable poverty
• As a community it is our role to make sure we
safeguard everyone from poverty
24. An alternative
• Growth has undermined older systems of security
(the land, the Church, the family or the firm).
• Growth will never provider sufficient income to
keep the poorest from unacceptable poverty
• As a community it is our role to make sure we
safeguard everyone from poverty
premise - poverty can be
limited by our social
25.
26. Family Security
System:
• Universal income security
• Fair taxes for all
• Focus on women &
family structures
Underpinned by respect for human rights,
constitutional reform and transparent
systems for defining entitlements and
taxes.
27. Thoughts for government
• Start focusing not on benefit caps - but
underlying security and key principles
• Create a transparent process for defining
underlying securities
• Create legal rights - to realise human rights -
and checks and balances to make rights real
• Make the system of income security universal
28. A further question - what
role will the welfare to work
providers play
• Increased regulation or real innovation?
• Profit for the wealthy or greater equality?
• Centralisation or localism?
29. A further question - what
role will the welfare to work
providers play
• Increased regulation or real innovation?
• Profit for the wealthy or greater equality?
• Centralisation or localism?
What were the
lessons of
30. Personalisation -
succeeded to the extent
• People began to see themselves as citizens - resources
they can control
• Professionals allow people to define outcomes that
are meaningful to them
• Communities began to see these change as
underpinned by principles of social justice
31. Personalisation -
succeeded to the extent
• People began to see themselves as citizens - resources
they can control
• Professionals allow people to define outcomes that
are meaningful to them
• Communities began to see these change as
underpinned by principles of social justice
Recognising that we already
have the resources we need
35. WomenCentre:
• Real Total Place innovation
• Slashed re-offending rates -
to less than 5%
• Success in protecting
women and children from
abuse
• Significant improvements
in mental health
• Modest funding - but now
cut by 41%
38. For providers
the challenge is to
• Build on personal capacity
• Stimulate local solutions
• Challenge faulty tax-benefit system
• Help shi power back to local communities
• Resist the temptation to just play the system
41. Thoughts for local
communities
• Protect flexibility of personalisation - don’t let
personal budgets get restricted
• Work with schools and develop systems like
Personalised Transition
• Protect and support local champions of change and
innovation - don’t import providers
• Challenge central government and focus on
protecting citizen’s rights