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Mary O’Hara (social policy journalist and author of Austerity Bites) is looking for evidence to support her new project and is interested in hearing from claimants and advisers about the current difficulties/realities.  She is especially interested in: Bedroom tax/housing and homelessness Welfare changes/freezes/cuts to benefits Food banks and poverty Stress/mental health impact of cuts Impact on women/children/single parents/disabled people Local government cuts: social care/crisis loans etc.. Regional impact She would appreciate our help with this and would love to hear …

Evidence needed for social policy research Read more »

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NAWRA understands that ITV news are planning another feature about sanctions very shortly. If NAWRA members have any clients who have been unfairly sanctioned, and who could either be interviewed or be used as part of anonymised case studies, please contact Penny Marshall on 0207 430 4541 or 07876 313 533 asap. Thanks. And happy new year.

By Posted on Posted in Meetings

Only a couple of days to go until our conference in Durham. Just a quick reminder that we have The Right Reverend Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, as our honoured guest. We are very proud to have secured such a high profile speaker to give our first annual Phil Hanns Memorial Lecture. In a week where the Church has criticised benefit sanctions and other delays as key contributors to UK poverty, it is timely that we have the Rt Rev …

Durham, 12 December 2014 Read more »

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Eri Mountbatten writes: NAWRA members will be aware of prominent reports being published that have highlighted significant problems with the application and administration of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and by its contractors, most notably Atos. In July 2014, the Work and Pensions Select Committee published their report on the WCA and called for a “fundamental redesign of ESA”. Following that report, in August 2014, NAWRA published its own response to the …

Is the writing finally on the wall for the WCA? Read more »