Sharing our thoughts on benefit adequacy

The Bevan Foundation has submitted written evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee’s inquiry into Benefit Levels in the UK

The UK Parliament’s, Work and Pensions Select Committee is holding an an inquiry into Benefit Levels in the UK. The Bevan Foundation was pleased to submit written evidence to the Committee.

The scope of the Committee’s inquiry is vast with 20 questions set out in its call for evidence. Our submission focused on four key areas:

• The principles that we believe should underpin the social security system. 
• The adequacy of the current social security system.
• The relationship between the social security system and work. 
• Devolution and the benefits system.

Drawing extensively on the Bevan Foundation’s recent Snapshot of Poverty report and our work on the Local Housing Allowance we argued that the social security system does not adequately meet people’s needs at present. In our submission with emphasized the need for a system that both provides people with adequate levels of support and one that is easy to access. We also drew the Committee’s attention to our work on Welsh Benefits and to the need for the UK Government to work with the Welsh Government and Welsh local authorities to share data to increase take up.  

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