Public Survey on a better welfare benefits system, by The Commission on Social Security

The Commission on Social Security* has started a public consultation on it's proposals for
a new welfare benefits system, you can take a survey** on the proposals at:
http://www.commissiononsocialsecurity.org/
(The deadline is 30 September 2020)

Survey (extract)

The ideas for a better benefits system are based on 5 principles.

The Commissioners identified the 5 principles.

The principles received a lot of support in the Commission’s Call for Solutions.

The 5 principles are:

  	1. Make sure everyone has enough money to live - and support extra costs, e.g. to do with disability and children.
	2. Treat everyone with dignity, respect and trust, and the belief that people should be able to choose for themselves.
	3. Be a public service with rights and entitlements.
  	4. Be clear, user friendly and accessible to all, involving people who have actual experience of the issues, from all impairment
           groups, in creating and running the system as a whole.

	5. Include access to free advice and support. Make sure people can access support to speak up, be heard or make a complaint.

The following are ideas to make the 5 principles happen.

Below are a few of the Commission's survey questions (ideas), each question asks if you Agree Strongly, Agree, Disagree, Disagree Strongly or Don’t Know.

* "The project is led by Experts by Experience. This means that all the people on the panel (the Commissioners) have lived experience of benefits"
** An extract of the survey questions are below:

Survey: Social Security for All of Us-
Coming to an Agreement!

1. Important Points

There should be no sanctions (this means when benefits are stopped or suspend)

There should be no 2-child limit (the 2-child limit means the child element of Universal Credit and tax credits are only paid for 2 children even if you have more)

There should be no conditions to receiving benefits, for example 'back to work', job-search or other DWP schemes'

There should be no bedroom tax (the bedroom tax means people in council or social housing who have what is considered a spare bedroom have their housing benefit/housing element of Universal Credit reduced)

Benefit rates should be increased each year

Payments should be made to the individual not the household

Entitlement should apply equally to adults aged 18 to pension age

Note: These important points would be for all benefits, but applied to each benefit individually as appropriate.

2. Child Benefit

Child Benefit should be raised to £50 per child per week

Note: Child Benefit is currently £21.05 per week for the first child and £13.95 for every child after.

3. Disability Benefit

Replace PIP with a new personalised payment to cover the extra costs of disability

Co-produced by people with lived experience (co-production means that people who use a service are involved in planning and designing that service from the very beginning)

Assessments in line with the social model of disability (the social model of disability says that people are disabled by economic, political, and attitudinal barriers in society. It places the focus on these barriers rather than the individual being the 'problem')

Recognise people are experts on how their impairment affects them

Savings, etc. to be ignored when working out Disability Benefit

A new government department completely separate from those ‘helping people get back to work’

Social care to be free instead of charges taken from an individual’s disability benefit

The rate of benefit has to be much higher and more realistic than it is now

Note: Disabled people would still be able to get the other ideas in this form, for example the Guaranteed Decent Income.

Support and advice (see section 8 below) would be available from local services to guide people through the process.

This would be funded, but independent from government.

4. Guaranteed Decent Income

The Commissioners’ idea is to have a Guaranteed Decent Income so everyone has a secure,  reasonable amount of money coming in.

1. The Guaranteed Decent Income would replace Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Working Tax Credits.

2. The Guaranteed Decent Income would be £222 per week for a single adult and £322 per week for a couple (the Guaranteed Decent Income idea draws upon information in the New Economic Foundation’s Minimum Income Guarantee. It also draws on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Minimum Income Standards about what amount of money is needed for an acceptable standard of living).

3. For couples, any payment would be split equally between the two partners and paid separately to each partner.

Note: This means if you are a single adult and your income - from work, self-employment or benefits other than Child Benefit and Disability Benefit - ever falls below £222 per week, you would have your income topped-up to that amount.

If you are a couple and your joint income - from work, self-employment or benefits other than Child Benefit and Disability Benefit - ever falls below £322 per week, you would have your income topped-up to that figure. For couples, joint income would be assessed but any payment would be split equally between the two partners and paid separately to each partner.

4. The Guaranteed Decent Income would give extra income for those caring for children, (called a “dependent children addition”).

	5. Extra income for disability (called a “disability addition”).
  	6. Extra income for those in long term unemployment (called a “long-term unemployment addition”).
	7. Extra income towards rents, mortgages and local tax. This would replace all current rent, mortgage and local tax support
           schemes.
	8. No deductions of any kind.
  	9. Savings, (capital) etc. ignored.
	10. Be paid from day one so no waiting for 5 weeks.
	11. No job-search or work-related conditions.
  	12. Child Benefit and Disability Benefit totally separate.
	13. Apply equally to adults aged 18 to pension age (16-17 year olds to be included in the existing definition of ‘adult’).

  	14. A work allowance of £512 per month (this is how much could be earned before the Guaranteed Decent Income would start to be
            reduced) and a taper rate of 45% (the taper rate is the rate at which the Guaranteed Decent Income would be reduced as
            earnings increase above the Work Allowance. A taper rate of 45% means you would lose 45p of every £1 you earned over the Work
            Allowance. The Universal Credit taper is much worse at 63%).

More information is below.

What do you think of the Guaranteed Decent Income idea?

If you disagree with any of points 1 to 14 please write the numbers in this box and say what would be a better idea.

Note: The Guaranteed Decent Income is like Universal Basic Income (UBI) because both are secured, have no job-search or work-related conditionality and are and paid on an individual basis.

It is different to UBI because Commissioners prefer as much money as possible goes to those who need it most.
Using means-testing ensures money does not go to those who already have a decent income level.
Commissioners believe National Insurance Contribution benefits have a part in the system.

But as they are based only on paid employment they discriminate against people who can’t work, women and young people.

Commissioners believe income not vouchers should always be used. Vouchers reduce independence and choice.  Technical points: private sector rents would be calculated at the 50th percentile. Local tax support (Council Tax in England, Scotland and Wales, and Rates in Northern Ireland) would be paid to the local authority.

5. Carer’s Allowance

Commissioners did not agree on this point. Some thought that Carer’s Allowance should be the Living Wage, but some disagreed.

Some Commissioners say it should be available to people who care for children under 18, but some disagreed.

What do you think?

6. Refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants

Allow benefits and the right to work for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants

Allow refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants access to public funds like everyone else (this means “No Recourse to Public Funds” would be abolished. “No Recourse to Public Funds” means people who are subject to immigration control cannot access certain welfare benefits and housing support)


7. Investment in Social Security for All

The government has a lot of power when it comes to money and choice. Things like the ability to make or borrow more money, and the option to set higher taxes for rich people or businesses, mean there is enough money for social security for all.

8. Links with other areas

Benefits are currently being used to try to solve problems that could be prevented by improvements to other areas.

No zero hours contracts

Free prescriptions for all

Free dental care for all

Free school meals for all children

Free Early Childhood Education and Care included in the system

National Independent Living Support Service (this means a service which provides appropriate support so people can live independently in the community, with choice and control over their own daily lives)

More affordable housing

Jobs with decent pay and decent conditions

Change local tax because people with the highest incomes currently don’t pay a fair share