Our pitiful pensions pots February 19, 2012 THE words “pensions” and “crisis” are used together with increasing reality – yet, through a lack of either money or foresight, the people of this country have yet to respond. Ignorance is bliss – but only up to a point. And that point will come like a bolt out of the blue for some people [...]
Audit office: back to work scheme flawed January 23, 2012 THE GOVERNMENT’S new programme to get people back into employment has been rushed and is based on overly optimistic expectations, the National Audit Office (NAO) said this morning. The quick one-year turnaround of the new Work Programme “has had benefits”, the NAO said, yet warned that no pilot was conducted, and that the IT system [...]
Audit office: back to work scheme flawed January 23, 2012 THE GOVERNMENT’S new programme to get people back into employment has been rushed and is based on overly optimistic expectations, the National Audit Office (NAO) said this morning. The quick one-year turnaround of the new Work Programme “has had benefits”, the NAO said, yet warned that no pilot was conducted, and that the IT system [...]
Britain could struggle to cut benefits bill, says NAO June 22, 2011 IAIN Duncan Smith, the welfare secretary, has been warned he could miss ambitious targets for slashing Britain’s benefits bill. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) would need to make “rapid progress” if it is to cut its overall spending by almost £20bn over the next four years. If [...]
Government set to unveil £140 flat-rate pension March 7, 2011 IN a radical shake-up of the basic state pension system, pensioners are set to receive a flat-rate of £140 a week, the government is set to reveal today. The pension reforms, to be unveiled by work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, are aimed at simplying the current complex system made up of a basic [...]
Government set to unveil £140 flat-rate pension March 7, 2011 IN a radical shake-up of the basic state pension system, pensioners are set to receive a flat-rate of £140 a week, the government is set to reveal today. The pension reforms, to be unveiled by work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, are aimed at simplying the current complex system made up of a basic [...]
Ian Cheshire to join the DWP board as non-exec January 31, 2011 IAN Cheshire has been appointed as the lead non-executive member on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) board. The outspoken Kingfisher chief executive is no stranger to politics. He threw his weight behind a high profile campaign by the Tories to reverse a hike in National Insurance, proposed by Labour before their election defeat. [...]
Coalition under pressure over cuts to middle class benefits August 18, 2010 LABOUR?started piling the pressure on the coalition yesterday, after the government admitted it was reviewing “middle class” benefits like child benefit and the winter fuel allowance. A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the benefits – which are available to everyone regardless of wealth – were “under review”. The government is [...]
Coalition under pressure over cuts to middle class benefits August 18, 2010 LABOUR?started piling the pressure on the coalition yesterday, after the government admitted it was reviewing “middle class” benefits like child benefit and the winter fuel allowance. A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the benefits – which are available to everyone regardless of wealth – were “under review”. The government is [...]
Why unemployment remains so high August 3, 2010 UNEMPLOYMENT in the UK is far higher than most commentators realise. The figures used by economists and the media only include people who are looking for work, thus missing out several million benefit claimants who are on the dole in all but name. The latest official statistics (from last November) reveal that there are 5.87m [...]