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Government urged to rethink benefit reform
A senior government adviser has urged ministers to rethink or delay plans to force lone parents, disabled people and the long-term jobless to seek work.
The proposed reforms would force people to look for work at a time of rising unemployment.
Sir Richard Tilt, head of the social security advisory committee, said that the planned reforms could "push people into poverty" as unemployment rises.
From next week, lone parents will have to look for work once their youngest child is 12 or face losing benefits.
Sir Richard said: "Benefit rates are relatively low and if you are going to reduce someone's benefit for a few weeks by 40% you are pushing people much closer to poverty.
"Of course, the child will suffer, but it's not the child that has fallen foul of the system."
He pointed out that there was often a particular reason that the lone parent was staying at home.
"It may be to do with disability or chronic illness, or in some cases it may be to do with behavioural problems," he said. "So pushing the lone [parent] in those circumstances into work may actually not be in everybody's interest.
"In many cases it will be harmful and lead to further behavioural problems."
When the reforms were first announced, CAP expressed concern that they would stigmatise and pressurise some of the most vulnerable people in society. The economic crisis makes that an even greater concern.
