Notes from Greenwich meeting
Thanks to everyone who came along to our meeting in Greenwich on 3 June 2016. Slides from the speakers and workshop facilitators are now available in the members’ area.
Greenwich meeting Fri 3 June
Our next meeting will take place at the Queen Anne Building, The Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk, Greenwich, London SE10 9NN from 9.30am until 4pm on 3 June 2016. agenda map book a place You must be a member of NAWRA to attend the meeting. If you are not already a member, find out more about joining.
NAO sanctions study
Our colleague, Dr David Webster (University of Glasgow) has alerted us to the little known fact that the National Audit Office (NAO) is currently carrying out a study of the DWP’s benefit sanctions regime. The terms of reference are at https://www.nao.org.uk/work-in-progress/benefit-sanctions/. The study will run until the autumn so there is time to send in relevant information and insights to the inquiry team. The audit manager is Colin Ross and his email address is Colin.ROSS@nao.gsi.gov.uk. There is also a contact …
Welfare Reform and disability
NAWRA welcomes the recent announcement from the new Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Stephen Crabb MP, to abandon further cuts to PIP. NAWRA hopes that his promises not to seek “alternative offsetting savings” in this Parliament will also be honoured. Let us not forget however that according to recent research by the Centre for Welfare Reform, vulnerable and disabled citizens have been the “number one target for cuts”. Indeed the present and former Governments have already presided over …
NAWRA’s response to SSAC review into mandatory reconsideration
In Feb 2016, the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) announced that they were conducting a review of decision making and mandatory reconsideration in the DWP and HMRC. NAWRA surveyed its members to find out about their experiences of advising claimants. We received 163 responses from members all over the UK. This evidence informed our response. Thanks to everyone who contributed and Eri Mountbatten (Aberystwyth University Students’ Union) for drafting the submission.