Red Rose Forum

I do believe that the government have been trying to tackle the issue of unclaimed benefits for years. The working tax credit was the well intentioned if somewhat poorly executed response to the stigma and administrative burden the poor often wish to avoid when 'going begging' to the dole office for a hand out. The idea of it being called a tax credit and being administered by the employer was supposed to help. Perhaps it has a little, I do not know how the stats on benefit take up have changed.

I am however reluctant to pass more information and power than is necessary to the government not simply because they are really quite often incompetant at managing large IT databases but far more importantly I believe that we should be moving toward greater inclusion of the general public in the governance of society. Rather than putting forth the idea that the state is responsible for our fate, we should empower people to be more active in their future development.

What I would genuinely like to see are practical lessons on UK law and taxation being taught to school leavers as part of their exams. Every 16 year old should know what is required should they set up their own business. What credits they can claim if they begin work and/ or start a family. I would personally go beyond taxation and give basic lessons in general aspects of UK law.

What sort of supposed social contract can UK citizens be deemed to be signing and agreeing to, if they have never even read the terms? My 2 cents

Comment left by 'Amanda Layne' and moved by administrator to start new thread 26 March 2008

Amanda, I fully agree with your comment about including teaching about the social contract in schools, however this will take some time to have real benefit, and some of the most needy will still miss out. I remember my father working as a benefit officer in the 1950s when he spent most of his time doing "home visits". This system worked well as he was able to see from the toys around (or lack of) how much child support might be needed etc. When he sat in someone's front room he was able to help complete claim forms etc. much more accurately (and fairly) than sitting in a sanitised office.

Putting officers in offices behind security screens in the 1980s broke that link, and now IT looks like making the support required even more remote as officers now hide behind computer screens. Sometimes the old ways are best.

Richard

I agree with both Amanda and Richard on this (ain't that nice!). But would also remind Richard that the IT can enable us to go back to your Dad's home visit role, and take the office with you in your pocket via a hand held device or laptop (i.e can link direct to the back-office database, find out information on the spot useful for the person you're visiting, can help them complete an application online, etc.) Some parts of the UK do this already, and of course it's also now starting to happen in many countries (Berlin is excellent I believe in this respect.)

Although I am no techie or defender of IT as such, it can be used for the good if used wisely.

I also wholeheartedly agree with Amanda's point about empowering individual people and communities by giving them the tools, training and opportunities. This can be another discussion of course (and both Richard and I have done work in this area) but it isn't easy although it definitely is coming (look at the idea of personal budgets now being rolled out across the UK for many disabled and older people as part of the "In Control" and "Putting People First" programmes.) These are, I understand, already having a big impact on the quality of these people's lives, and our government should continue down this route.