Friday, June 28, 2013

Seven-day wait for benefits may cause hardship, says Church agency

The Comprehensive Spending Review plans to cap welfare expenditure (PA)
The Comprehensive Spending Review plans to cap welfare expenditure (PA)

The British Government’s proposed seven-day wait before jobseekers can claim benefits may cause financial difficulties for vulnerable families, a Church agency has said.

Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) expressed concerns about the recent Comprehensive Spending Review’s plans to cap welfare expenditure. The proposed changes involve a seven-day wait before the unemployed can claim benefits, along with a 10 per cent reduction in local government funding.

Liam Allmark, CSAN’s public affairs officer, said: “The proposed seven-day wait before jobseekers can claim benefits could cause severe financial hardship for families who are already trying to balance tight budgets and meet rent payments.”

CSAN is a Catholic agency working for social action in England and Wales. At a recent CSAN conference, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster voiced his concern about the lack of support for struggling families in Britain.

He said: “A social safety net that fails to protect essentials such as food and shelter for those who cannot work, is not worthy of being regarded as a safety net at all.”

Source