For all Labour's posturing and promises over the last ten years, the one thing that stands out for me where nothing has changed is the way in which millions of people are still on benefits, and the way in which the system in this country seems to encourage people to stay on benefits and does little to encourage them to get a job.
So today it is very welcome the the Lib Dems have put forward some bold proposals to tackle the issue of the "dependency culture" in the UK.
Yes, Labour has spent a lot of government on benefits and yes, they have tried to do more to stop benefit fraud. However, Labour's efforts are far too much stick and not enough carrot and at the same time under a deluge of means tested benefits which often means people who actually need benefits are unwilling to claim.
David Laws MP, who launched the policy said: "The Liberal Democrat vision is of a society of genuine opportunity where, instead of treating the symptoms of inequality, we treat its causes - poor educational opportunities, unemployment, bad housing and unstable families."
With plans to raise child benefit and alter the tax credit system that bizarrely seems to reward some high earners, the Lib Dems are being bold in their plans and have certainly got something to shout about in leaflets up to the next election.
If these proposals were acted upon more than 150,000 children would be lifted out of poverty. That has to be worth supporting.
1 comment:
I wish we had a party policy to just scrap the Tax Credit nonsense.
Anybody who's had to claim will tell you it's awful, in fact I know several people who refuse to claim because to do so takes so much hassle and grief, not to mention clerical mistakes and accusations of fraud if you don't fill every form correctly and on time, they would rather not.
In fact that's the problem with most of the benefit system is that it's designed for civil servents by civil servents and focusses on their fraud policies and targets rather than people who need help.
Scrapping Tax Credit and instead increasing personal allowances and benefits would be simpler, cheaper and work far better.
IMHO most of the benefit system is badly broken - those who need help most are unable to get it, there are no advisors to help those who don't understand the system, but lots of layers of management working to prevent a handful of fraudsters and cook the books for their political masters.
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