The essence of the man: IDS
Yet another policy of the Work and Pensions Secretary has had to be altered after a period in which he has refused to listen. The "bedroom tax" is still a disaster. But Iain Duncan Smith has conceded changes to allow foster carers and the parents of armed forces personnel to keep their "spare" bedrooms for when they are needed, without financial penalty. But confusion still reigns, as they're now saying (I'm watching BBC's
Newsnight) that the money is coming out of the discretionary fund. And as the
Guardian points out, it's only 3 weeks until this all kicks in. And despite claims from Cameron and other Tories that the families of disabled children and others are exempt, that isn't true. It's up to the local authorities to find enough from the one-off inadequate fund to cover those who apply.
As we pointed out last month, this is just the latest in a long list of messes which Duncan Smith has created. And another is looming. A pilot of Universal Credit, in which social housing tenants on housing benefit were paid the HB directly rather than it going to the landlord, has resulted in a big increase in people defaulting on the rent.
Can you imagine keeping your job if you did it as consistently badly as IDS is doing his? The country can't afford to have this man in any position of power.
Watching A4e
