No rights without responsibility

The most recent official statistics show that 5.4 million adults and 1.9 million children live in the UK’s 3.9 million workless households. Through the Universal Credit, the coalition is taking a radical approach to tackle this, but it won’t be enough. The government’s own analysis estimates that it will move 300,000 households into work. But this will leave 3.6 million households behind, dependent on benefits and likely to pass worklessness onto the next generation.

There are also timing worries. Unemployment and, in particular, youth unemployment are high on the political agenda (new statistics on NEETs will come out next week), but the Universal Credit will not be fully implemented for another seven years. If the significant IT development needed to run the system fails or is delayed, there will be a real risk that the benefit system will escape major reform in this parliament.

In short, to ensure real reductions in worklessness, increased employment, growth in all regions of the UK and an end to poverty, we need to do more now.