As a result of inflation, the UK government has adjusted the means test thresholds for legal aid in England and Wales. Each year, over 2 million more people will be eligible for civil legal aid as a result of this change. The provision of legal aid is declining, so eligibility does not guarantee access. In…
Category: Policy and Strategy
The Risks of the UK’s Universal Credit Childcare Policy: An Uphill Battle for Parents
The UK government has recently announced changes to the Universal Credit childcare policy, which will allow parents to claim increased amounts to cover childcare costs. While this may sound like a positive development, there are underlying risks and challenges that need to be addressed. In this blog, we will explore the potential risks associated with…
UK Government Outsourcing: Rewarding Corporate Misconduct?
How does the UK government reward companies that violate regulations and face more than £500m in fines? It outsources essential public services to them. Let’s call it out as it is. Recent analysis by the Observer has unearthed a shocking revelation: the UK government, in its outsourcing endeavors, has not just been kind but alarmingly…
Unmasking the DWP’s War on the Vulnerable: A Deceptive Fight Against Benefits Fraud
Introduction: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a new “fraud plan” that claims to tackle benefits fraud head-on. However, behind their aggressive public service announcement lies a long-standing tradition of demonising those in need. This hard-hitting blog sheds light on the dark reality of the DWP’s tactics and the consequences they have…
Council Tax Reduction Schemes: Trends, Variations and the Power of Technology
This past Monday, we plunged into an insightful discussion about EntitledTo’s annual review on council tax reduction (CTR) schemes. Karen Holmes, a notable figure from E2, expertly steered the conversation, with a host of panellists offering valuable insights. Three key takeaways emerged from the review: The latter point sparked a vibrant debate. Paul Howarth and…
The Financial Challenges Scottish Councils Face: A Call for Reform
Introduction Scottish councils have been grappling with financial challenges exacerbated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Despite increases in council funding, a recent report from the Accounts Commission reveals that the majority of this money has been ring-fenced and lacks the necessary flexibility. As a result, councils face significant pressure to deliver balanced budgets while meeting…
What the Telegraph and the Mail get wrong about immigration
Migrants come to the UK for a variety of reasons, and while economic reasons are undoubtedly a factor, they are not the primary motivation for most migrants. Economic migration is defined as the movement of people from one country to another in search of better job opportunities, higher wages, and a better standard of living….
R&B Independent Discussion Group Automation Special 3/4
This week we had the third session of our “Automation February” workshops with three interesting speakers Zoe Charlesworth Daniel Pearce Malcolm Gardner A great case study from Daniel Pearce, which really got under the skin of how automation realistically works and can produce real savings for the local authority and better services to the citizen….