======= At 2002-07-14, 17:22:00 John Veit-Wilson wrote: =======
>The Inside Money programme on BBC Radio 4 is covering the subject of the adequacy of benefits in a programme to be broadcast on Sat 3rd August at 12.00 and on Mon 5th August at 3pm.
> ...A number of social policy academics and others representing poor people will be helping the BBC discover that "The law says but the law does not know what it is talking about". Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggests that £42.70 a week for 18-24 year olds and £53.95 for 25-60 year olds should be at least a stringent minimum of £84.76 a week.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Social policy academics and others claiming to represent poor people who
can come up with a figure like £84.76 a week as a 'stringent minimum
income' are, of course, ten a penny. What is more interesting is whether the
BBC bothered tried to find any researchers who think that the current level
of benefits is adequate, or any (of the many, according to surveys) benefit
recipients who don't find it a struggle to manage. Somehow I doubt it.
Paul Ashton
2002-07-14
|