The Welfare Benefit Reforms/ Austerity Measures implemented by the British Government. This presentation explorers the measures what they are and how they affect people living on welfare benefits.

1. •What are they &
•How do they affect families on welfare?

2. By Sarfaraz Ahmad
Family Action
Bradford-Canterbury
Advice Centre

4. Quick Exercise
Working in two’s (or three’s) make a list of the
austerity measures that have been brought in
by the coalition Government.

5.  Benefit Cap
 Universal Credit
 Bedroom Tax
 ESA: Reform of
Incapacity Benefit
 Introduction of PIP
 Reform of Social Fund
 Changes to State
Pension Age
 Changes to Tax Credits
 JSA sanctions regime
 Non dependent
deductions
 3 year squeeze on
benefit rates
 Council Tax Reduction

6. There’s a limit on the total amount of
benefit that most people aged 16 to 64
can get.
Benefits that are affected:
Bereavement Allowance
Carer’s Allowance
Child Benefit
Child Tax Credit
Employment and Support
Allowance (unless you get the support
component)
Guardian’s Allowance
Housing Benefit
Incapacity Benefit
Income Support
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Maternity Allowance
Severe Disablement Allowance
Widowed Parent’s Allowance

7. Who wont be affected?
If a householder is in receipt of
Working Tax Credits
Some Disability Benefits
War Pensioners
Some Armed Forces schemes

8. One single Benefit that will
replace all income based
benefits such as:
Income Support
JSA
ESA
Housing Benefit
Tax Credits

9.  Applies to Council and
social housing tenants of
working age
 If you are found to have 1
unoccupied spare
bedroom you could lose
14% of your HB
 If you are deemed to have
2 bedrooms “under
occupied” you lose 25% of
your Housing Benefit

13. PIP introduced to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
for eligible people aged 16 to 64.
79% of those, previously on Disability Living Allowance
(DLA) who were reassessed for PIP, were given an award.
In contrast 55% of new claimant decisions led to PIP being
awarded.

14.  Community Care
Grants abolished
 Crisis Loans abolished
 Maternity Grants
restricted to 1 per
family
 The social fund was
intended to meet
essential living expenses
of the most vulnerable
members of society that
were not covered by
benefits.

15.  Only qualify for
Working Tax if you
work 24 hours (up
from 16 hours)
 Backdating down from
3 months to 1 month
 If annual income
decreases the first
£2500 will not be
recognised in award

16. Extending waiting period for
new claims from 3 to 7 days
Longer initial interviews
Mandatory attendance of
English speaking courses for
some claimants
Harsher and more punitative
sanctions regime

18. In Bradford everyone has to pay 25%
whether or not they are currently
receiving means tested benefits

19.  If someone else lives in your home a deduction may
be made to your Council Tax Reduction (CTR) if the
person is treated as a 'non-dependant'.
 The deduction is made on the assumption that the
'non-dependant‘ (adult child/relative/friend) should
make a contribution towards your council tax.
 The amount of the deduction varies according to the
non-dependant's circumstances but has increased
significantly.

21.  Benefits excluding the
state pension but
including income
support, child benefit
and housing benefit,
will rise by just one
per cent a year until
April 2015.
Benefits changes
 1% rise in each of the next three
years, from April 2013. Lower than
the 2.2% that might have been
expected
 Child benefit
 Frozen until April 2014. Will rise by
1% in each of the next two years
 Maternity, paternity and adoption pay
 Rise by 1% in each of the next three
years
 Carer's Allowance and disability
benefits
 Will rise in line with inflation, by 2.2%
in April
 Child tax credits and working tax
credits
 To rise by 1% in each of the next
three years, although some will be
frozen in 2012-13
 Local housing allowance
 Capped at a 1% rise for each of the
two years from April 2014
 Basic state pension
 Under government guarantee, will
rise by 2.5% in April
 Additional state pension
 Up 2.2% in April, in line with inflation

22. Percentage of People
living in poverty in UK
2008-2009
Hereford Council

25.  Women's retirement age gradually increasing from
60 (6-4-1950+)
 By November 2018 women and men's age equalize
at 65
 By October 2020 men and women's retirement age
raised to 66 years
 Further raised to 67 for men and women by 2026
Which means your entitlement to claim old age benefits like
Pension Credit, Winter fuel Allowance State Retirement Pension
go back further and further.

26. Men and women are now going to have
to work harder and longer for less pay

28. You never know
who you might
bump into at the
supermarket...

29. Figures confirm that the numbers of people using food banks
has rocketed since the start of the austerity crisis