Consultation: Welfare Reform Green Paper

[mcdermott]

As you may know, the government has recently published a Green Paper discussing its future plans for Welfare Reform. Large sections of this paper are devoted their plans to move those people that the government terms 'problem drug users' out of the welfare system and back into the workforce.

The Alliance has recently produced an early, draft response to this Green Paper, but we think it would be helpful if we were to engage in a more formal process of consultation. Therefore, if you have an interest in this Green Paper, please take your time to read it and feed back any issues or concerns that you might have.

Also, given that we think it's critical that we consult as widely as possible, if you have friends or colleagues who have concerns about the Green Paper, please do what you can to encourage them to come along here and post their responses. These recommendations are extremely far-reaching in scope, and if implemented, may have an extremely severe impact on the lives of many. Therefore, it's important that as many of us as possible take the time and the trouble to read the document and voice any concerns that they might have.

We've spent a long time struggling for the opportunity and the right to be consulted and to have some input into issues like this, and at long last, there are user groups and forums across the UK. I can't think of another issue that's more important to mobilize those groups around, so if you are a member of any other lists, any other forums, or you simply have friends or contacts that you feel have something meaningful or useful to say on the matter, please encourage them to post on this thread and we'll collate all of the responses that come in and present them to the Department of Work and Pensions, and any other interested parties.

You can download a copy of the Green Paper here:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/

And you can forward this link to your friends to persuade them to get involved in our own consultation on the issue:

http://www.m-alliance.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1239.0

 

[Jules]

Peter, I know of many people who will be affected by this proposal but aren't members of user groups and certainly don't have access to computers - previously homeless people some of whom aren't even aware of its existence or that their benefit may be threatened.  I wondered whether there was anything that I could print off for them that would explain it in slightly simpler terms than the actual Paper itself?

Cheers

Jules

[mcdermott]

Great idea, Jules.

I'm going on leave again tomorrow, but as soon as I get back, I'll make it an urgent priority.

[Jules]

Thanks Peter.  Have a good time.

Jules

[Tony.B.]

Jules
The official summary is pretty good i thought.
T