The cumulative impact of last year’s welfare reforms has left people less able to cope with work or support themselves, a report claims.
One year on from introduction of the Government’s flagship benefit reforms, research by Community Links suggests the ‘complexity’ and ‘rushed’ delivery of the changes has pushed families into ‘chaos’.
A study of residents in the London borough of Newham found some were turning to crime in order to cope with the ‘overwhelming’ and ‘unmanageable’ impact of welfare reforms.
Many had their resilience ‘eroded’ by changes to the benefits system, finding themselves ‘unable’ to make important decisions that might help them enter work.
‘The chaotic implementation and confusing communication of the welfare reforms has made it almost impossible for some people to make positive adjustments,’ community Links’ chief executive, Geraldine Blake, said.
Reforms also acted to push those with chronic illnesses or severe mental health problems ‘further away from employment’, Tipping the Balance suggests.
‘The resulting erosion of resilience poses a real threat to people engaging with Iain Duncan Smith’s flagship policy of Universal Credit,’ Blake added.
‘In order for these reforms to have their intended empowering effect, the Government needs to do more to support the vulnerable people affected who need immediate help to overcome entrenched barriers and move closer to employment.’
The East London charity has urged local authorities to undertake similar cumulative impact assessments of the reforms over both the medium and long term, including evaluation of the knock on impacts to services and the local economy.
Responding to the report, a Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said the reforms would ‘improve the lives of some of the poorest families in our communities by promoting work and helping people to lift themselves out of poverty’.
‘Universal Credit will make three million households better off and lift up to 300,000 children out of poverty. There are a lot of misleading stories about our reforms, but the truth is that we spend £94bn a year on working age benefits and the welfare system supports millions of people who are on low incomes or unemployed so they can meet their basic needs.’
