There’s an Online Survey about Social Security Benefits to be completed by July 2019…
Commission on Social Security UK
Led by Experts by Experience
The social security (welfare benefits) system is failing.
But there is little agreement on how the system can be improved.
The Commission on Social Security led by Experts by Experience is a project set up to find out how the government could make the welfare benefits system better.
… and , what of the end user , the " Experts " claiming benefits ?
Any room for , at least one , of them at the table ?
Academics and suits … haven’t we all suffered as a direct result of them dictating the various playing fields ?
Yep … ties in with other " Happenings " out there.
Rest assured … UC … even if there is a change a Government … that infection will be with us all for a very long time.
A good idea … on paper … until the Treasury started to tinker with the numbers.
I refer to the link I originally found the website on, and have thus underlined it ;
Call for help to design a social security system of dignity, respect and trust
Disabled people and others with personal experience of claiming benefits are leading a ground-breaking project to devise a new social security system, in which claimants would be treated with dignity, trust and respect.
The Commission on Social Security, led by Experts by Experience, will seek ideas from other claimants, organisations and academics, before drawing up their own white paper and putting it out for consultation.
They will then launch a campaign to seek public and political approval for their final ideas.
Yep … very similar to the discussion groups back in 2009 … before the last Green Paper.
End users galore in the discussion groups.
None whatsoever in the subsequent decision making group.
And , look what happened then !
History repeating itself ?
House Select Committee Report in 2008 … and even better example … of " Democracy " in action … especially important
as it dealt exclusively with us … our postion in society , and the monies we were expected to live on.
( Listen to the end users then ignore virtually everything they said ? )
I have my invite to attend this event in Newcastle. I agree with Chris about there having been so many other events like these over the yrs, but I use it as an awareness exercise to see what others are saying and contributing.
Agenda as follows and may help if some of you who wish to complete the online survey.
What proposals should be made in the next UK White Paper on social security (working-age benefits)
Hosted by Northumbria University
Organisers: Michael Orton (University of Warwick) and Kate Summers (London School of Economics)
Programme
(i) Welcome
(ii) Setting the scene: the Commission on Social Security, led by Experts by Experience, and the White Paper idea
(iii) Introductory exercise - getting us thinking
(iv) Generating ideas: Universal Credit; Sickness and Disability; Benefits Rates + a Minimum Income Level; Financing Welfare Benefits; Sanctions + Anything Else
(v) Do we agree on anything?
(vi) What next?
Aims
● Stimulate thinking about what would be a better benefits system.
● Promote solutions-focused, collaborative and participatory working.
●Feed into the Call for Solutions that has been made by the Commission on Social Security, led by Experts by Experience, with its aim of producing a White Paper.
●Identify other opportunities for developing outcomes from the Workshop.
Ethos
Reflecting growing concern with making events like this more inclusive and more productive - CitizensUK are a good example - the following ethos is suggested for the workshop.
We come together:
•as individuals, on the basis of shared concerns;
•seeing co-operation and compromise as strengths;
•emphasising what we agree on;
•listening and ensuring everyone has their say;
•being positive and focused;
•and at all times acting with care, compassion and respect for each other.
Whistle … and we’ll decontaminate you afterwards … the next food bank parcel on you ?
( GeordieLand … better make that a bugle call ! )
Washing free … but a good spit and polish ? … that come’s extra ( What is covered by " Social Care " ? ).
I think it all boils down to what values we want to promote and that we stand for.
.
For the origin of the current benefits system , look no further :
Made in the … U.S.A.
.
The true extent of the " Americanisation " of our benefit system was only part of the bigger picture.
The preservation of wealth and power at the expense of the poor.
Wealth inequality … at record levels and still rising.
Those below the Official Poverty line … 14 million and still rising.
That , ladies and gentlemen , is true " Americanisation. "
Austerity … a much maligned word but … what exactly has it produced ???
Earlier this morning , NHS main thread , more of our consultants taking shares in private hospitals.
Even the major charities taking on the structure of American corporations … fancy job titles … and salaries to boot !
So many instances out there … the dangers of becoming the " 51st. State " might be nearer than you think !
If any reader believes that the solution may lie at the other end of the political spectrum , think really long and hard about
that alternative !!!
" If voting made any difference , they would ban it ! "
Never a truer word spoken ???
.
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As i said… kindred spirit
Mmmm … not a bad start , Junior … 50 odd years in that spirit world for me … and not sign of a drop of single malt
on the horizon … just lost souls … multiplying in the social and economic ether ?
Strange , the only guiding lights in the smog were in the distant past … utopia … whose " Utopia " exactly … there’s one
of those for every person born ( A riddle within a riddle ? ).
( CarerWatch days … family / kinship carers are the bedrock of social care … how do we modify social care … and society
… around that bedrock … assuming , of course , our initial premise , was accepted by all and sundry outside of CarerLand ?
Not a task that would appeal to many even a decade ago … today ?
Green Paper / benefits system … just 2 pieces of that jigsaw puzzle ! )
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