WHAT DO THE BENEFIT AND WIDER WELFARE CHANGES MEAN FOR PEOPLE ON LOW INCOMES IN HAMPSHIRE, PORTSMOUTH AND SOUTHAMPTON?
Event hosted on Wednesday the 11th of December, 2013 and in Spring 2011 via this link
Over 80 people attended the presentation by Dr Christina Beatty of the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research on the impact of welfare reforms on Hampshire.
A period of major political and fiscal change began in Britain following the May 2010 election.
A key aim of the new Coalition Government is to implement a budget deficit reduction plan in the wake of a world recession. One of the central elements underpinning the proposed public sector reductions was major reform of the welfare and benefits system. The stated aim is for a greater degree of ‘fairness’ by reducing the deficit while protecting the vulnerable.
The proposed changes for the welfare system are however going to have an impact upon a wide range of benefit claimants, including Housing Benefit (HB) recipients. This report seeks to highlight the number and characteristics of people in Hampshire who will be affected by current welfare reforms and public sector spending reductions. It provides a detailed picture of where pockets of deprivation, low income households and benefit claimants exist across all thirteen districts in “Hampshire” including the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton. The main changes in the welfare system concerning key groups of out-of work benefit claimants and housing benefit claimants are summarised, and the potential number of claimants who may be affected is assessed. The likely scale of proposed public sector job losses in the Hampshire region is also quantified.
Additional Links and Resources
To view a 3 minute video about the seminar and the work of the BST please click this link
To view a longer 9 minute film about the seminar please click this link
For recommendations from the workshops, please click this link.
You Tube Interview with Tina Beatty: If you would like to view another video on the impact of the spending review on local families in Hampshire, please click this link.
To download a free Executive Summary of the report, click this link (8 sides, colour)
