Director of Policy in Practice. We make policy work for people on the frontline. Built the Universal Benefit Calculator
It was great to be asked to speak at the launch of Resolution Foundation's latest report on Universal Credit. The report, written by former Policy in Practice analyst Alex Clegg is available here: https://lnkd.in/ep8kBBNN A lot has changed within and around Universal Credit in the last decade, you can view the whole discussion with excellent contributions as ever from Kayley Hignell from Citizens Advice here: https://lnkd.in/eiRD_MBa Some key points from me reflecting on the report: There was a general consensus that, policy choices aside, Universal Credit is a better system than the legacy benefit system it replaced. We saw how it was able to respond in the pandemic, and in a straw poll with the audience people saw it as firstly simplifying a complex system, secondly as a successful digital rollout and thirdly as improving incentives to work. This will help an incoming government as Universal Credit allows more flexibility. Secondly, while the report focuses on 'working renters' as the winners and 'disabled people' as the losers from the move to Universal Credit, I argued that this isn't the best way to look at the system. The core distinction over the last decade has been policy choices under George Osborne that cut the basic levels of out of work support and Rishi Sunak that raised levels of in work support (primarily through a lower taper rate). It's easier to make the case for improving work incentives to the electorate, but inadequate levels of support as costs rise the core problem the social security system will need to grapple with. There was a really healthy discussion about the core problems: that the benefit system has always been a sponge for problems elsewhere, such as high and rising housing costs and greater levels of ill health and that on the huge rise in disability support claims with again consensus that the removal of support for people with limited capability for work was a really bad idea. To read more about Policy in Practice's work on this, Jack Rowlands latest paper talks about how a tougher conditionality regime risks moving people away from employment: https://lnkd.in/ew_rPEfA Finally, if you do watch the recording you get to hear me breathlessly explain the complexity of council tax support, changes in employment and support allowance, frustrations in 2010 and my best ever close to an event... 'and I forget my second recommendation' 😊
Looking forward to watching it Deven. 👊🏾
Nice
Chief Marketing Officer at Policy in Practice
3moNice to see Alex Clegg and Deven Ghelani side by side on a speaking panel again!