Hi
Thank you so much to list members who have attended workshops to date - on what proposals should be made in the next UK White Paper on Social Security (working-age benefits) - and for all the very positive feedback.
Remaining workshops, which are kindly supported by the Social Policy Association and local hosts, are Glasgow (3 July), Leeds (4 July), Sheffield (5 July), Cardiff (12 July), Coventry (19 July), Greater Manchester (23 July) + a session at the SPA Conference in Durham on 7 July.
If you are unable to attend a workshop but have ideas and suggestions for what proposals should be made in the next UK White Paper on Social Security (working-age benefits), it would be wonderful if you could submit them via this link - https://warwick.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0BNZ7EnuWbbhsBn.
All of the above is feeding into the highly innovative Commission on Social Security led by Experts by Experience, with further details below.
Kate Summers
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**The Commission on Social Security led by Experts by Experience**
**Workshops + Call for Solutions**
The social security/welfare benefits system is failing, with foodbanks and homelessness just two of the most visible signs of this.
But there is little agreement, even within civil society, on ways forward.
The Commission on Social Security led by Experts by Experience is a highly innovative project, supported by Trust for London. The Commissioners are all people with experience of claiming benefits, drawn from a range of claimant/user-led groups and Deaf and Disabled people's organisations. The Commission’s aim is to produce a White Paper style document setting out a better benefits system and building consensus. The Commissioners are supported by a secretariat initially consisting of Rosa Morris (Independent Researcher), Michael Orton (University of Warwick - Secretary to the Commission), Kate Summers (LSE - Commission Research Analyst) and Austin Taylor-Labourn (Trust for London).
The Commission has issued a Call for Solutions, inviting people - whether with lived experience and/or professional expertise - to submit ideas and suggestions for a better benefits system.
WORKSHOPS
The UK Social Policy Association has kindly provided funding for a series of related workshops, in conjunction with local hosts, with the title:
What Proposals Should be Made in the Next UK White Paper on Social Security (working-age benefits)?
Please follow the link to register a place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-next-uk-white-paper-on-social-security-welfare-benefits-tickets-60191225576 (no registration is necessary for the SPA conference mini-workshop).
The workshops are addressing questions such as the following.
• What steps can be taken to make Universal Credit better or if you think it should be scrapped, what would replace it?
• How can people who are sick or disabled be better supported and how should the system work out who should get sickness or disability benefits?
• Should there be a minimum income level below which no one can fall and if so, how could this be done?
• How should benefit rates be worked out and how much should each benefit be?
Workshop participants are also welcome to identify solutions on the whole range of issues relevant to social security/welfare benefits. For example, sanctions, Child Benefit, Local Welfare Assistance Schemes, National Insurance contributory benefits, support for housing costs and council tax, individual/household assessments and payments, how increased spending on benefits can be financed, the balance between means-testing or being contributions-based and reflecting people’s particular needs or being universal? Etc.
WORKSHOP FORMAT
The workshops have a participatory format including small group work and consensus building activities.
They are structured around the Call for Solutions being made by the Commission on Social Security led by Experts by Experience but also identify other possible activity.
REMAINING LOCATIONS, DATES AND TIMES
Glasgow – Wednesday 3 July 2019, 1pm-4pm
Leeds - Thursday 4 July 2019, 1pm-4pm
Sheffield - Friday 5 July 2019, 10am-1pm
Cardiff - Friday 12 July 2019, 1pm-4pm
Coventry - Friday 19 July 2019, 10am-1pm
Greater Manchester - Tuesday 23 July 2019, 1pm-4pm
The Workshops are free but places are limited and registration is essential using the links in the above message.
(Sessions have already been held in Bath, Belfast, Birmingham, London, Norwich, Teesside x 2, and the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers x 2)
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Anyone interested in a better social security/welfare benefits system will be made very welcome. This includes Experts by Experience, user-led and community groups, third sector organisations, academics and so on.
WORKSHOP ORGANISERS
Michael Orton and Kate Summers
Any queries please email [log in to unmask]
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A small travel budget is available for people who would otherwise be unable to attend. Please contact the organisers for further information.
In 2016-17 the Social Policy Association supported a previous series of workshops on social security/welfare benefits which identified an agenda for future work. That agenda is summarised here and informs this latest initiative: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/people/morton/social_security_workshops_-_summary_report_-_final.pdf.
For more information about the Social Policy Association, its work and how to become a member, visit http://www.social-policy.org.uk/
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