Social Protection - Paying For It 2011

Social Protection: £186.8bn

November 23rd, 2011

Social protection covers the financial assistance available to vulnerable individuals including the unemployed, people struggling with housing costs and those who cannot work due to illness, disability or old age.

Scrap the winter fuel payment

Households with at least one member over 65 are eligible for help with winter fuel costs of £200-£300. This policy would remove the payment.
Pros & Cons

PRO In tough economic times this saving would contribute greatly towards reducing the national deficit.

CON This option reduces the income of the most vulnerable in society at a time when energy prices are increasing.
Reduce jobseeker’s allowance by 10%

A single person looking for work aged 25+ receives £67.50 a week, which would decrease to £60. For a couple, the figure would decrease from £105.95 to under £95 a week.
Pros & Cons

PRO This will increase the incentive to find work and create savings to further reduce the national deficit.

CON Reducing jobseekers allowance places additional financial strain on the unemployed which can make it harder for them to find work.
Keep council tax benefit at current levels

Reverse the planned reduction in council tax benefit to those households on low incomes.
Pros & Cons

PRO This will provide extra support to those on lower incomes who may struggle to pay council tax bills.

CON Keeping council tax benefit at the same level will not only cost the government but could be an incentive for some people to work less.
Increase the basic state pension by 5%

Currently an individual receives £107.45 a week in basic State Pension. Increase it to over £110 a week.
Pros & Cons

PRO This would give extra support to a particularly vulnerable group within society.

CON An increase could discourage private savings for retirement and add to the burden on government to pay for future generations.

Submit your own policy

Do you have a better idea for a policy? Submit it in the text field below. (You still have to select one of the above choices). All ideas will be compiled with the most popular getting published in the Youth Budget 2012.

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Scrap the winter fuel payment

Reduce jobseeker’s allowance by 10%

Keep council tax benefit at current levels

Increase the basic state pension by 5%

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