I keep reading articles about how tax credits won't apply to third or subsequent children born after a particular date (April 2017). It follows this part of George Osborne's emergency budget speech. Families who have a third or subsequent child after April 2017 will not receive additional Tax … [Read more...] about Existing children and the third child tax credit cut off.
basic income
Welfare reform: the moral and practical case for basic income.
In the run up to this general election, there's been a lot of time spent debating welfare, welfare reform, spending and so on. The received wisdom is that benefits need to be cut/ capped/ people must work, either for their benefits (workfare) or in paid apprenticeships. So we have sanctions, … [Read more...] about Welfare reform: the moral and practical case for basic income.
Why Clacton gives me hope.
Yesterday there was a by election in Clacton, and UKIP won its first MP, Douglas Carswell who had previously held the seat for the Conservatives, and who triggered the by election by standing down when he defected to UKIP. No, it's not the fact that UKIP has an MP that gives me hope. That makes … [Read more...] about Why Clacton gives me hope.
The one on inequality, basic income and anger.
Source: Oxfam. Seriously. 5 families are wealthier than 12.6 MILLION people put together. Does this strike you as a good idea? And it appears that the welfare state created after the second world war, to even out the chances of all of society, to provide health care, actual affordable … [Read more...] about The one on inequality, basic income and anger.
Basic income is something for nothing – why does anyone deserve that?
Click on the image to see other posts in this seriesOne of the (many) criticisms levelled at the concept of basic income is that no one deserves something for nothing. And yet an unconditional basic income is precisely that - something for everyone without anything in return. Why would we want to … [Read more...] about Basic income is something for nothing – why does anyone deserve that?
