This week’s arguments about welfare reform are some of the most depressing, ill–informed and ill-judged I have ever heard.   Last weekend, various left groups got out their placards after realising that people would be hard hit by the…

  On Monday, the Welsh Government released its assessment of the impact of welfare reform on Wales. The Ministerial statement on this is interesting – and not in a good way. Where’s the urgency? It is almost a year to…

“It’s not about the money, money, money”, sings Jessie J.   She might be right about the music industry but unfortunately she’s wrong when it comes to measuring child poverty.  There are just three days to go to tell the Department…

More forecasts of sharp increases in poverty, and especially child poverty, are emerging.  Government Ministers themselves have acknowledged that 200,000 more children could be in poverty as a result of the benefit cap, according to the Independent.  This is in…

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report on poverty and social exclusion in Scotland reveals some shocking findings about inequality in wealth and wellbeing, many of which are also to be found in Wales.  Report author Tom MacInnes reflects on the implications…