Download or read book Progress on Tackling Pensioner Poverty written by Great Britain: National Audit Office and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-07-21 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 2002 report Tackling pensioner poverty: encouraging take-up of entitlements (ISBN 0102919577) examined efforts by the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the take-up of benefits by pensioners. It was followed by a report from the Committee of Public Accounts (ISBN 0215009347) that made a number of recommendations. This report looks at the changes the Department have made against those recommendations and the challenges that remain. The overall conclusion is that the Pension Service has made substantial progress in helping pensioners secure their entitlements, using new and thought through approaches. However there is more to be done. This report is accompanied by a technical report that describes the methodology and findings in greater detail.
Download or read book Tackling Pensioner Poverty written by Great Britain. National Audit Office and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 59 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2000-01, there were two million pensioners living in low-income households in Britain, yet significant numbers do not claim the welfare benefits to which they are entitled. This report examines the activities of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to tackle pensioner poverty by encouraging pensioners to take up their benefit entitlements, as well as the barriers to take-up and options to address this problem. Findings include: the complexity of the benefits system, the way it is administered, and pensioners' attitudes to claiming benefits all create barriers to take-up; pensioners' knowledge is poorest about benefits that supplement low incomes, those for disabled people, and for those people with caring responsibilities; and the creation of the Pension Service in 2002 is a major opportunity to establish a more pro-active approach, in partnership with other agencies, to promoting take-up than under the Benefits Agency. There is considerable scope for increasing take-up through more systematic and focused application of best practice, including targeted take-up campaigns by voluntary bodies.
Download or read book Progress on Tackling Pensioner Poverty written by Great Britain: National Audit Office and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-07-21 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The main report is also available (HCP 1178-I, ISBN 0102942315). A previous NAO report on this topic (HCP 37, session 2002-03) (ISBN 0102919577) and a report by the Committee of Public Accounts (HCP 565, session 2002-03) (ISBN 0215009347) are also available.
Download or read book Tackling pensioner poverty written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Work and Pensions Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-07-30 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Tackling Pensioner Poverty written by Great Britain and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Tackling pensioner poverty written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Work and Pensions Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-07-30 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The level of pensioner poverty has declined markedly since 1997. However, there are still 2 million pensioners in poverty and 1.1 million who live on below 50% of median income. The Committee considers this to be unacceptable, and in this report looks at what more the Government could do to lift pensioners out of poverty. Pension Credit has lifted large numbers of pensioners out of poverty. Take-up of Pension Credit improved rapidly after its introduction, but has since levelled off with many eligible pensioners still not claiming. Despite the best efforts of the Pension Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) it is seeing diminishing returns for its efforts. Take-up of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit amongst pensioners has also declined since 1997. Improving take-up of all three benefits would markedly improve pensioner poverty. Local Authorities need to work much more closely with PDCS, to ensure that information on people who may be eligible for Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are (with permission) exchanged in both directions. This is not done at present and should therefore be trialled and depending on its success applied nationally. The Department has put a lot of effort into encouraging pensioners to claim Pension Credit, then directing them towards other benefits. The Committee concludes that there should be a single phone line for all three benefits.The lack of data PDCS collects on Pension Credit take-up, especially amongst vulnerable groups is a disappointment for the Committee and makes it very difficult for them to suggest ways to effectively target these groups.The automaticity pilots introduced in the Welfare Reform Bill is welcomed as is the Department taking a long term approach and seeking to find innovative ways to improve take-up. Among other benefits the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) is looked at, and also the differences between Disability Living Allowance (DLA) payable to those who become disabled under 65, and Attendance Allowance (AA), payable to those who become disabled after the age of 65. The Committee were impressed by the model used by Service Canada, which provides advice on all federal benefits, and provides signposting to other services. While no pensioner should be expected to work after 65, many would like to. Working longer can allow them to maintain social contacts, and to defer claiming a pension, something that can have a positive effect on their future income. The Committee calls for the Default Retirement Age to be abolished and for protection from discrimination for older workers to be strengthened, to ensure that every pensioner who wishes to can continue working. Past recessions have led to disproportionate numbers of older workers over 50 losing their jobs and never working again. The Department must not allow this to happen again.
Download or read book Department for Work and Pensions written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Committee of Public Accounts and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A previous NAO report in 2002 'Tackling pensioner poverty: encouraging take-up of entitlements (ISBN 9780102919578) examined efforts by the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the take-up of benefits by pensioners; and it was followed by a report from the Committee of Public Accounts (ISBN 9780215009340) that made a number of recommendations. Following from a subsequent report by the NAO (HCP 1178-I, session 2005-06; ISBN 9780102942316) published in July 2006, this report examines the reasons for unclaimed entitlements, the progress that has been made in encouraging the take-up of benefits since 2003 and the scope for further improvement. Findings include that despite considerable progress at the national and local level to tackle pensioner poverty, there are still over one million pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credits, almost a third of eligible pensioners. Low take-up rates are highlighted amongst older pensioners, those from ethnic minorities and those living in rural areas. The Pension Service needs to improve its co-ordination of partnership work with other health and housing service providers and local groups; and, given the complexity of the benefits system, the DWP needs to develop a target relating to take-up rates for Attendance Allowance and a system that would allow pensioners to claim linked benefits through a single transaction.
Download or read book Understanding the Relationship Between Pensioner Poverty and Material Deprivation written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book What Works in Tackling Health Inequalities written by Sheena Asthana and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book identifies the key targets for intervention through a detailed exploration of the pathways and processes that give rise to health inequalities across the lifecourse. It sets this against an examination of both local practice and the national policy context to establish what works in health inequalities policy, how and why. Authoritative yet accessible, the book provides a comprehensive account of theory, policy and practice. What Works in Tackling Health Inequalities? is essential reading for academics and students in medical sociology, social psychology, social policy and public health, and for policy makers and practitioners working in public health and social exclusion."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Policies to Address Poverty in America written by Melissa Kearney and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2014-06-19 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One-in-seven adults and one-in-five children in the United States live in poverty. Individuals and families living in povertyÊnot only lack basic, material necessities, but they are also disproportionally afflicted by many social and economic challenges. Some of these challenges include the increased possibility of an unstable home situation, inadequate education opportunities at all levels, and a high chance of crime and victimization. Given this growing social, economic, and political concern, The Hamilton Project at Brookings asked academic experts to develop policy proposals confronting the various challenges of AmericaÕs poorest citizens, and to introduce innovative approaches to addressing poverty.ÊWhen combined, the scope and impact of these proposals has the potential to vastly improve the lives of the poor. The resulting 14 policy memos are included in The Hamilton ProjectÕs Policies to Address Poverty in America. The main areas of focus include promoting early childhood development, supporting disadvantaged youth, building worker skills, and improving safety net and work support.
Download or read book Budget Measures and Low income Households written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Treasury Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report examines the impact of the abolition of the 10 pence rate of income tax, considering separately the effects of initial implementation and the effects in the light of the changes to personal allowances announced on 13 May 2008. The losers from the measures as initially implemented were people whose taxable income was small and for whom the loss might be significant when required to manage a personal or household budget at a time of sharply rising prices for many essential goods and services. For the current tax year, in the circumstances which the Chancellor of the Exchequer faced, the option chosen on 13 May of increasing personal allowances, but confining the benefits to basic rate taxpayers, was probably the least bad option, with the benefits of simplicity, transparency and greater incentives to work on the basis that fewer taxpayers face high marginal deduction rates. However, £2 billion of the £2.7 billion committed to that measure is not devoted to compensating losers from the removal of the starting rate of income tax, and is not well-targeted. The Government must learn lessons relating to budgetary processes. The Government should publish a Household Impact Assessment alongside future Budgets and Pre-Budget Reports. There is a pressing need for the Government to compensate the remaining 1.1 million households who lose from the removal of the starting rate of income tax even after the 13 May changes. In the longer-term, reforms should be centred on the greater challenges faced by the Government in combating poverty. The Committee recommends the establishment of a Poverty Commission on a similar basis to the Pensions Commission to examine the public policy challenges relating to poverty.
Download or read book Poverty in Scotland written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Scottish Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-12-20 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Incorporating HC 168-i to x, session 2006-07
Download or read book Budget 2007 written by Great Britain. Treasury and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-03-21 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Budget sets out the Government's plans for taxation, public spending and economic growth for the coming year. It focuses on providing support for pensioners and families, increasing employment opportunities and protecting the environment. Measures announced in the 2007 Budget include: basic rate of income tax to be reduced from 22 pence to 20 pence from April 2008; higher rate income tax threshold to be raised by £800 a year in April 2009; Working Tax Credit threshold to be increased by £1200 to £6420 in April 2008; higher personal allowances for those aged 65 or over to be raised by £1180 in April 2008; Child Tax Credit to be increased by £150 per year in April 2008 and Child Benefit for the eldest child to be raised to £20 a week in April 2010; headline Corporation Tax to be lowered from 30 per cent to 28 per cent from April 2008; increase of 2 pence per litre in fuel duty rates from 1 October 2007; changes to Vehicle Excise Duty for the next three years, with rates for the most polluting cars rising to £400 and for clean cars falling to £35; duty on beer and cider rises to 1p a pint, 5p for wine, 11p for cigarettes; Inheriatnce Tax threshold will rise from £285,000 to £350,000 in 2010; ISA savings limit up from £3,000 to £3,600; measures to improve energy efficiency of all homes by the end of the next decade.
Download or read book Meeting the aspirations of the British people written by Great Britain. Treasury and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-10-09 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Government's objective is to build a strong economy and a fair society, in which there is opportunity and security for all. The 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review, 'Meeting the aspirations of the British People' (Cm 7227), presents updated assessments and forecasts of the economy and public finances, describes reforms that the Government is making and sets out the Government's priorities and spending plans for the years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, including: maintaining macroeconomic stability; investing in the future with total public spending rising from £589bn in 2007-08 to £678bn in 2010-11 including an additional £2bn for capital investment in public services; continuing the sustained investment in the NHS, with resources rising from £90bn in 2007-08 to £110bn by 2010-11 and with value for money savings of at least £8.2bn contributing to the funding of the conclusions of the Darzi Review 'Our NHS, our future'; further sustained increases in resources for education, science, transport, housing, child poverty, security and international poverty reduction and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; simplifying the tax system to make it fairer, simpler and more efficient; modernising the tax system through major reforms to inheritance tax and capital gains tax; steps to protect the environment, including reforms of the tax regime for aviation and a new Environmental Taxation Fund to support the demonstration and deployment of new energy and efficiency technologies. For related publications, see 9780102944556 (2007 Budget Statement), 9780101698429 (2006 Pre-Budget), and for the Darzi Review see (http://www.ournhs.nhs.uk/files/283411_OurNHS_v3acc.pdf)
Download or read book Ageing Resource Communities written by Mark Skinner and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-09-16 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the world’s hinterland regions, people are growing old in resource-dependent communities that were neither originally designed nor presently equipped to support an ageing population. This book provides cutting edge theoretical and empirical insights into the new phenomenon resource frontier ageing, to understand the diverse experiences of and responses to rural population ageing in the early 21st century. The book explores the resource hinterland as a new frontier of rural ageing and examines three central themes of rural population change, community development and voluntarism that characterize ageing resource communities. By investigating the links among these three themes, the book provides the conceptual and empirical foundations for the future agenda of rural ageing research. This timely contribution contains 15 original chapters by leading international experts from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, Ireland and Norway.
Download or read book Towards a more equal society written by Hills, John and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2009-02-25 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When New Labour came to power in 1997, its leaders asked for it to be judged after ten years on its success in making Britain 'a more equal society'. As it approaches the end of an unprecedented third term in office, this book asks whether Britain has indeed moved in that direction. The highly successful earlier volume A more equal society? was described by Polly Toynbee as the LSE's mighty judgement on inequality. Now this second volume by the same team of authors provides an independent assessment of the success or otherwise of New Labour's policies over a longer period. It provides: · consideration by a range of expert authors of a broad set of indicators and policy areas affecting poverty, inequality and social exclusion; · analysis of developments up to the third term on areas including income inequality, education, employment, health inequalities, neighbourhoods, minority ethnic groups, children and older people; · an assessment of outcomes a decade on, asking whether policies stood up to the challenges, and whether successful strategies have been sustained or have run out of steam; chapters on migration, social attitudes, the devolved administrations, the new Equality and Human Rights Commission, and future pressures. The book is essential reading for academic and student audiences with an interest in contemporary social policy, as well as for all those seeking an objective account of Labour's achievements in power.
Download or read book Stability Security and Opportunity for All written by Great Britain, Treasury Staff and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2004 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: White paper dated July 2004.
