Charities delivering on the Work Programme may face financial risk

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has published research warning that charities delivering on the government’s welfare-to-work programme may be exposed to financial risk.

The research shows that more than half of charities delivering said their prime contractors had not protected them from financial risk; 39 of 72 charities surveyed said they have not been shielded by their prime contractor from risk and a further 14 said their prime had only done so to a small extent. Just 2 reported being protected “extensively”.

Under the Work Programme, charities are required to fund the work themselves and are only paid by the Department for Work and Pensions once a person placed in work has completed six months.

Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, said: “The prime contractor model is supposed to safeguard small providers from financial risk, but these findings suggest it is currently falling far short of expectations. The Government must take these concerns on board and ensure that no bad practice is allowed to slip through the net.”

Read the full NCVO Work Programme Special Interest Group Survey

Amanda Frewin

Research & Project Support

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Unemployment up by 118,000 but JSA claimant less than expected.

The Office for National Statistics has published the latest employment figures showing 2.69 million people were ILO unemployed in the September to November quarter, up by 118,000 on the June to August period

 

Inactivity fell by 61,000 on the quarter and the rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 23.1%. Meanwhile, the number claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance rose by 1,200 in December 2011 to 1.6 million. This is, however, less than the 10,000 expected.

 

Today’s figures show a fall in youth unemployment reflecting the numbers in full-time education. Full-time students now account for 30% of all those unemployed between the ages of 16 and 24. The number of 16 to 24-year-olds who have left full-time education and are seeking work is 729,000. The number of full-time students looking for a job rose 44,000 to 313,000.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling has responded to these latest figures:

“The overall level of unemployment is, and will remain, a major concern for the Government. The latest figures reflect the current challenging economic climate but also show more women entering the workforce and more students looking to supplement their income through work. When you take into account our welfare reforms the number of Jobseeker Allowance claimants has actually fallen.

“Despite the exceptionally difficult economic circumstances, finding work for the unemployed will remain top of the Government’s agenda.”

Click here for the latest Labour Market Statistical Bulletin

Amanda Frewin

Research & Project Support

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Sad death of Dame Lesley Strathie

Sad death of Dame Lesley Strathie

After joining the senior civil service in 2000 Leslie became the Department for Work and Pensions’ London field director in 2001; chief operating officer of JobCentre Plus (which she had helped create) in 2003.

From 2005 she was simultaneously chief executive of JobCentre Plus; Second Permanent Secretary at the DWP; and head of profession for operational delivery in the civil service.

Our condolences go out to her family

Dame Strathie

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The worst speech ever – (Eric Pickles)????

The worst speech ever – (Eric Pickles)

This has got to be the worst speech in christendom or at least in 2012

Eric Pickles’s speech!!!!!!

Clearly the speech ‘writer’ was having a bad day..,

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Geoff Russell (CEO -SFA) and Simon Waugh (CEO – NAS) Stepping down

The Government has announced that Geoff Russell (CEO at the Skills Funding Agency) and Simon Waugh (CEO at the National Apprenticeship Service) are stepping down.

Read more below:

Geoff Russell

Simon Waugh

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Localisation issues in welfare reform

This is the government’s formal response to the recommendations and conclusions set out in the Communities and Local Government Committee’s report on localisation issues in welfare reform.

The Response….

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Consultation on Personal Independence Payment

The government intends that  this consultation secures your views on the second draft of the assessment criteria for Personal Independence Payment and the changes that have been made since the first draft. ….

 

…However the government does not envisage making significant changes to the broad principles or scope of the assessment and so are not seeking views on these.

The consultation

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Welfare reform – DLA, PIP – in The Lords

Welfare reform -PIP – in The Lords

The government faces another rebellion over its welfare Reform Bill after opponents tabled an amendent in the House of Lords.

Baroness Grey-Thompson, a successful disabled athlete and a TV sports presenter is seeking to amend parts of the bill to ensure that there would have to be a pilot scheme before the new assessment regime for disability living allowance is introduced.

Campaigners against the bill argue that only once the scheme is shown to work safely should it be expanded to include all two million claimants of the benefit.

The proposal
The coalition proposes to replace the working-age disability living allowance (DLA) with a new personal independence payment, and cut spending by 20%. DLA is a welfare payment designed to help people look after themselves and aimed at those who find it difficult to walk or get around. The government says it will review its proposals after three years. However, critics point out that this is too long and hundreds of thousands of people will have lost their benefits.

The allowance
The allowance pays out a maximum of £73.60 a week, its middle rate is a little over £49 and the lowest payment less than £20.

The government argues that in eight years the numbers claiming DLA has risen from 2.5 million to 3.2 million, an increase of around 30%, which will cost the taxpayer £12.6bn this year.

Lets see what happens today ….

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Child Benefit changes… suggested

Child benefit changes

Prime Minister Mr Cameron has suggested that a new system might be proposed in the Chancellor’s March Budget.

From next year, child benefit is to be removed from any household where any adult earns above the higher-rate tax threshold of £42,745.

The move will remove Child benefit from about 1.2million families and save the Exchequer about £1billion a year. It is projected to cost a family with three children about £2,500 a year.

However a family with two people earning £40,000 – a total of £80,000 – will keep their child benefit while families where the mother is caring for the children, will lose out.

As far as we are aware the responsible government department is unaware of the possible change and they are proceeding as originally instructed… this raises concerns and questions about what the real position is and will we have a last minute – costly – reversal.

If there is to be no reversal maybe the Coalition Government should consider:

• Reducing the overall tax burden on families and allow them to spend more of their income.

• Phase in the changes so that families can reorganise their finances,

• This could be done by phasing it in – or out – over two years or reducing the amount paid over four years.

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Watch out for next move in welfare reform battle!!!

The governments defeat in the Lords may just be a temporary discomfort …… Did you know that…..

 

…The House of Lords debates legislation, and has power to amend or reject bills. However, the power of the Lords to reject a bill passed by the House of Commons is severely restricted by the Parliament Acts. Under those Acts, certain types of bills may be presented for the Royal Assent  without the consent of the House of Lords (i.e. the Commons can override the Lords’ veto).

 

… Most importantly ..
The House of Lords cannot delay a money bill (a bill that, in the view of the Speaker of the House of Commons, solely concerns national taxation or public funds) for more than one month.

Ministers simply need to make the case that the Lords has acted outside its jurisdiction or that its actions impinge on taxation / money. FINANCIAL matters :::::::::

Lord Freud will rise again: not on the third day ,,,,, but within the month

Oops!!!

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