There is no session this week as the summer break continues on the meantime here is a summary of what has been happening over the last two weeks. The group will return on Monday 8 September. Welfare and Sickness Trends Nearly 2.8 million people are now out of work due to long-term sickness, pushing the…
Category: Universal Credit
Tensions in Council Tax Collection: Balancing Policy, Affordability, and Public Perception
Revenues and Benefits Discussion Group 7 July 2024 At the latest meeting of the Independent Revenues & Benefits (R&B) Group, members grappled with a familiar but still unresolved dilemma: how to reconcile the administrative and political pressures of council tax collection with the realities of household poverty, affordability, and fairness. Council Tax Write-Offs and Public…
Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group: Council Tax Reduction Review Highlights
The latest session of the Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group, held on 9 June 2025, offered an invaluable insight into the current state of Council Tax Reduction (CTR) schemes across the country. This week, we were fortunate to be joined by Karen Holmes from entitledto, who delivered an excellent and highly informative presentation on…
24/03/25 Assessing Welfare Reform: Insights from the Independent R&B Discussion Group
On 24 March 2025, a diverse panel of experts and practitioners convened for a robust discussion on the latest developments in the United Kingdom’s welfare system. With topics ranging from the migration to Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants to the broader implications of pathways to work reforms, the session provided a…
Pathways to a More Empowering Welfare State: Winners, Losers, and the Cost of Inaction
The recent “Pathways to Work” green paper lays bare the escalating cost and inherent dysfunctionality of a binary welfare state—one that categorises individuals simply as either capable or incapable of work. This approach, particularly when applied to supporting those with genuine disabilities, is proving both economically unsustainable and socially regressive. As argued in Abundance by…
VN Monday Discussion Group 4/11/24 The Autumn Budget
On 4 November 2024, the Independent R&B Discussion Group met to examine the latest budget and its implications for local services, public spending, and policies affecting welfare and business rates. Led by Malcolm Gardner, the session provided detailed insights from experts in local government finance and welfare, with a focus on emerging policies and the…
14/10/24 VN: Monday Discussion Group Minimum Income Floor, Six Month Warnings & Pension Credit Take-up
The Independent R&B Discussion Group held on 14 October 2024, covered a range of topics related to government reports, pension credit uptake, and Universal Credit issues. Below is a summary of the key points from the discussion, with comments attributed to various speakers. Overview of the Government Reports Malcolm Gardner initiated the conversation by noting…
Jan 1 2024 Revenues and Benefits Update Pack
Happy New Year. I wanted to drop you a quick message during our holiday break. I’ve prepared a pack with the latest updates on revenues and benefits, covering what’s been happening with council finances and recent developments from the last couple of weeks. There’s some positive news about the funding settlement, although it still doesn’t…
Impact of Council Tax Rises Creates a Multifaceted Post-Code Lottery
The predicted council tax rises in the UK are projected to have a greater impact on households with lower incomes residing in the northern regions compared to those in the southern regions. This inequality stems from a combination of various factors: 1. Nature of Council Tax System: The Criteria for Determining Council Tax Bands: The…
Monday Discussion Group 26/11/23 Autumn Statement, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In our last meeting of 2023, we’ll be back on January 8, 2024, we covered the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and its effects on the Revenues and Benefits department, along with its impact on citizens and stakeholders. We went through various topics, including changes in business rates, unexpected effects on council tax reduction schemes, and how…