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benefits
Coalition benefit cuts mean 'unacceptable' poverty is increasing, says Oxfam
The coalition's benefit cuts have pushed 1.75 million more people into even deeper poverty, according to a new report.
The study, by Oxfam and NPI, shows that the drop in the value of benefits, increased by less than inflation, and direct cuts to housing benefit and council tax benefit have meant some of the UK's poorest citizens have got worse off under the current government.
This group has seen a cut in their overall incomes and struggle to afford life's basics including food and energy.
More pain to come as Cameron threatens benefits again
Prime Minister David Cameron has pointed to more benefit cuts ahead if the Conservative party wins the next election.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Cameron called the housing benefit bill "far too high". He continued:
"We've put a cap on housing benefit, but I still think there's more we can do to reform our benefits system."
He promised to keep the 'triple-lock' on pensions which guarantees that they will rise by inflation or above every year, but denied that this was an example of chasing the 'grey vote'.
Government launches consultation on sanctions - we want your views
The government wants your views on the way it hands out sanctions within its Work Programme and similar schemes.
It has appointed Matthew Oakley as an independent reviewer to find out what those affected think of the issue.
Unsurprisingly, Oakley is a supporter of the Work Programme; in a Guardian article he wrote in March about the Cait Reilly/Poundland case he said:
Benefit cap doesn't breach human rights, says court
A group of mothers has lost its claim that the benefit cap breaches their human rights.
The women, all from London, had brought the case on the grounds that it harms their right to a reasonable home and family life and breaches the rights of their children.
They had feared it would leave them destitute, with their lawyers arguing that it was a "cruel and arbitrary" measure and "reminiscent of the days of the workhouse".
UK unemployment falls 18,000 but wages squeezed again - with UnemployedNet comment
Unemployment has fallen by 18,000 to 2.49 million people over the last three months, while the number claiming Jobseeker's Allowance fell by 41,700 to 1.35 million.
Joblessness now stands at 7.7% of the UK workforce.
There was a small fall in long-term unemployment, but no change in the number of young unemployed people even as the number who are economically inactive rose 22,000 to 2.66 million.
UnemployedNet live tweeting on C5 benefits programme from 9.00 pm
Channel 5 is showing a new documentary tonight at 9.00 pm, and UnemployedNet will be tweeting live during it.
The show, On Benefits and Proud, looks likely to be another demolition job on workless people and other claimants, and we will be watching over it and trying to put some facts into the mix.
The government's Help to Work scheme in pictures
At the last Conservative party conference, the government announced its new 'Help to Work' scheme.
This aims to force those who are still unemployed after two years on the Work Programme into unpaid work, full-time attendance at jobcentre or full-time training.
Survey Compare have created an infographic to show how this will work in practice, and it's worth a look particularly after the amount of confusion surrounding the new scheme.
Take a look here.
Charities join forces to campaign for better debate on benefits
A group of five charities has joined forces to fight for better public debate on benefits.
They include Gingerbread, The Children's Society, Crisis, Mind and Macmillan Cancer Support, and their campaign aims to give a voice to the most important people in the debate: those who need benefits to survive.
The campaign: "aims to give a voice to the millions of us who have been supported by benefits at some point in our lives. By sharing our stories we can show the reality of who needs help, why they need it and the difference that it makes.
Fact check on benefits - just 2.3% of the social security bill goes on unemployment
Website Full Fact looks into the reality behind the headlines, and has turned its attention to benefits.
Government ministers often talk of the benefits bill and unemployment in conjoined sentences to try to plant the idea that welfare is primarily spent on worklessness.
George Osborne's infamous 'cockney accent' speech to the workers of Morrison's is a good example.
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