Social Issues in the UK Health and Wealth Inequalities National Qualifications

1. Social Issues in the UK Health and Wealth Inequalities National Qualifications

2. Over the next several periods we will… • Identify how poverty is tackled in the UK • Identify what central government, the Scottish government, councils, voluntary groups and private companies do to tackle poverty in the UK • Understand the arguments over whether these organisations do too much or too little to tackle poverty

3. Success Criteria • I will be able to identifythe different aspects of the benefits system in Britain today • I will be able to identifywhat different organisations are doing to tackle poverty • I will be able to reach a judgement as to whether or not the benefits system is too harsh or too generous

4. Tackling Poverty Lesson Starter • In what ways does the government help to tackle poverty? Write as many ways as you can think of.

5. Tackling Poverty • Amount the UK government spent on benefits in the tax year from 2011-2012… £159 billion!

6. Tackling Poverty • What benefits do you think this was spent on? Why? • Rank the following benefits in order with the most spent first. • Job Seeker’s Allowance • Pensions • Incapacity Benefit • Housing Benefit • Disability Living allowance

7. Total spent on benefits in 2011-12 Highest spend on pensions JSA (the brew or the dole) is quite low

8. http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/year_spending_2013UKbn_12bc1n#ukgs302 – Government spending figures

12. Should there be a benefits system?

13. Should there be a benefits system?

14. Tackling Poverty

15. Tackling Poverty • You need to know about what is happening to tackle poverty. This is the responsibility of: • Central Government (London) • The Scottish Parliament • Local Authorities (Councils) • Voluntary Sector • Private Sector

16. Central Government • The Jobcentre • Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) • Income Support • Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (Formerly Incapacity Benefit) • Disability Living Allowance (DLA) • Cold Weather Payment • Winter Fuel Payment • Sure Start Maternity Grant • Community Care Grant • Social Fund • Tax Credits • Minimum Wage

17. ICT Period • https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits • Take a note of the website above

18. Tackling poverty; Central Government Central Government

20. The Jobcentre • This helps people who are out of work to find work • Also helps people to claim benefits • Unemployed people can use this service to arrange mock interviews, look at job vacancies and meet with special job advisors

21. Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) • This is the main benefit for people who are out of work • Must be looking for work or working under 16 hours per week and be over 18 • To keep getting JSA you must go to a Jobcentre office every two weeks to show how you’ve been searching for a job. This is known as ‘signing on’.

22. Income Support • This is extra money to help people on a low income and people working less than 16 hours per week • It is for people who don’t have to sign on as being unemployed

23. Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) • This is financial help to people who are unable to work because of illness or disability • Aims to help people into work • Evidence suggests people who work are in better health

24. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) • For people who have severe difficulty walking, need help getting around or need to be looked after

25. Cold Weather Payment • Money towards heating costs during very cold weather • Available to people on income support, JSA, ESA or Pension Credit • Payment of £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.

26. Winter Fuel Payment • An extra payment to help older people with the cost of heating bills • Amount paid depends on a person’s circumstances • Payments range from £100 to £300

27. KU Question • Explain, in detail, what the UK central government does to tackle poverty. 8 marks Point – e.g. Jobcentre Plus Explain – explain what this is Example – explain further, e.g. what does this provide?

28. Homework… • Take similar notes to the ones you have just taken on the following: • Sure Start Maternity Grant • Community Care Grant • Social Fund • Tax Credits Use internet sites, especially: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm

29. Tackling Poverty

30. The Scottish Parliament • Aims of Scottish Parliament • Scotland's Regeneration Strategy • Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) • Scottish Child Poverty Strategy

31. Aims of Scottish Parliament • Aims to target all areas to do with poverty – not just income • Works to improve health, housing, educational attainment, employability and access to services • Solidarity Target – “To increase overall income and the proportion of income earned by the lowest three deciles as a group by 2017”

32. Aims of Scottish Parliament • Aims to simplify benefits • End the so-called “benefit trap” • Free childcare • Tackle fuel poverty • Improve social housing • Increase opportunities for apprenticeships

33. Aims of Scottish Parliament More Choices more Chances • Targets young people between 16 and 19 • Aim is to get them back into education, employment or training

34. Scotland’s Regeneration Strategy Scotland's Regeneration Strategy sets out a £175 million programme of investment to support the country's most disadvantaged communities, transforming the prospects of the people who live there.

35. Universal Home Insulation Scheme • This is interest free loans for more expensive insulation measures including boiler replacement to improve energy efficiency. • £12.5 million which was invested by the Scottish Government in September 2011.

36. Scottish Child Poverty Strategy Aim is to reduce child poverty by maximising household resources and improving children’s life chances

37. KU Practice • Explain, in detail, what the Scottish Parliament is doing to tackle poverty in Scotland? 6 marks

38. Tackling Poverty

39. Local Authorities • Housing and Council Tax Benefit • Affordable Warmth Dividend (Glasgow)

40. Housing and Council Tax Benefit • This is help towards paying rent and council tax and is available to people on low incomes

41. Affordable Warmth Dividend • This is a scheme operated by Glasgow City Council to assist residents of the city who are 80 years of age and older with additional costs associated with winter. • £100 affordable warmth dividend is part of efforts to wipe out fuel poverty in Glasgow

42. Tackling Poverty

43. Voluntary Sector • Child Poverty Action Group • Shelter • Save the Children

44. Child Poverty Action Group • 1 in 4 children in Scotland live in some kind of poverty • CPAG seeks to raise awareness of and tackle child poverty in Scotland • CPAG offer advice to families and produce publications • For example, CPAG helps families claim certain benefits such as tax credits

45. Shelter • This is a charity which tackles homelessness and poor housing • Shelter gives advice, information and campaigns for political change • They lobby the government and encourage them to do more and change policies to assist the homeless and those in poor housing

46. Save the Children • This is a charity which works to influence government policy regarding child poverty • Work with MSPs to discuss potential policies and campaign to end child poverty • For example, STC believe all children should be entitled to free school meals and that childcare should be paid for by the government

47. Tackling Poverty

48. Private Sector • Job Creation • Public Private Partnerships

49. Job Creation • Scottish Entrepreneur Tom Hunter set up the Hunter Foundation in 1998 • Invested £35 million to encourage Scots to be entrepreneurs • Positive Destinations – scheme where grants are given to companies to be used to help young people in terms of education, employment or training

50. Public Private Partnerships • Private companies build state of the art hospitals and schools which councils can’t afford to build • These ensure that people have access to good quality healthcare and education which in the long run will tackle some forms of poverty