Dynamic Benefits report contains good ideas but fails to address key barriers to work, say child poverty campaigners

Commenting on the publication of Iain Duncan Smith’s Dynamic Benefits report on reforming welfare Kate Green, Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group said:

“Increasing the income disregard and introducing a more gradual removal of benefit when people’s incomes rise will help make work pay and help reduce ludicrous marginal tax rates paid by low paid workers through higher tax and lost benefits.

“The report is right in saying that introducing ever tighter rules and cutting the generosity of benefits will not increase the employment rate. But it underplays other barriers to work, such as lack of jobs, low pay, lack of childcare, inflexible employment practices and ongoing discrimination.

“While the report has much to welcome, its focus on redesigning the benefit system to boost employment and downplays the fact that it is also there to protect all of us in times of ill health, disability or when we need to prioritise caring responsibilities.”

Notes for editors

• CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.
• CPAG is one of over 150 member organisations of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, campaigning for public and political commitment to ensure the goals of halving child poverty by 2010 and ending child poverty by 2020 are met.

For further information please contact:
John Dickie
Head of CPAG in Scotland
Ttel: 0141 552 3656 or 07795 340 618
jdickie@cpagscotland.org.uk