UK GOV MUST NOT PANDER TO POVERTY MYTHS
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UK GOV MUST NOT PANDER TO
POVERTY MYTHS
NEW REPORT SHOWS SHIFT IN PUBLIC ATTITUDES
Scottish National Party spokesperson for Work and Pensions Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP has slammed the UK Government for pandering to ‘poverty myths’ as new research shows more and more people believe that individual characteristics rather than societal issues cause poverty.
A report for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has examined the links between public attitudes to poverty, welfare and the state of the economy using data collected as part of the British Societal Attitudes survey. It found that the traditional view that the poor were seen sympathetically during recessions has disappeared, with more people thinking that recipients of benefits are undeserving.
Dr Whiteford has previously criticised George Osborne for reinforcing negative stereotypes of those on benefits and using the low paid and unemployed as scapegoats to deflect from their own economic failure.
Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:
“Sadly, these findings are not surprising considering the rhetoric of the UK Government is full of ill-informed assumptions and not based on facts or research. The real solution to unemployment is growth and jobs, which Westminster is failing to deliver on, yet Osborne uses the low paid and unemployed as scapegoats to deflect attention from their own economic failure, while cutting taxes for millionaires.
“Previous comments by George Osborne show just how out of touch with the real world he is. The Chancellor's Budget speech last month on welfare reform hid the complexity of the true nature of poverty in the UK - which his Tory austerity agenda is increasing.
“Osborne has said that in 2010 alone, payments to working age families cost £90 billion, and that was ‘one reason why we’ve got such a big deficit.’ However the proportion of our tax bills spent on welfare has remained stable for the last 20 years.
“Welfare dependency is also not entrenched as the UK government would have us believe- evidence suggests that in less than 0.1% of the 20 million working age households in the UK there are 2 generations that have never had a permanent job.
The numbers of such families, if any exist, are so small that no survey has yet been able to detect the much cited three generations of worklessness.
"We need a welfare system that reflects Scotland’s values, helps working families and protects the most disadvantaged people - and a fairer welfare system for Scotland can only be achieved with a Yes vote in September next year.
“A clear majority of people in Scotland already want decisions on taxation, benefits and pensions to be taken by Holyrood rather than Westminster, where our MPs have little ability to prevent such damaging measures as the iniquitous Bedroom Tax.”
Findings for the Rowntree Foundation can be found here:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/media-
The Chancellor’s Budget speech from last month can be viewed here:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/
Research on commonly held ‘poverty myths’ as part of the publication “Lies we tell ourselves: ending comfortable myths about poverty” can be found here:
http://www.jointpublicissues.
Yougov/SNP (Fieldwork: 20th-22nd March 2013)
Sample size: 1105 Scottish adults
Which government do you think should be responsible for all tax and spending decisions in Scotland, including tax revenues from oil and gas?
The UK government 35
The Scottish government 52
Don't know 13
Which government do you think would be best at deciding welfare and pensions policy for Scotland?
The UK government 34
The Scottish government 53
Don't know 13
NEW REPORT SHOWS SHIFT IN PUBLIC ATTITUDES
Scottish National Party spokesperson for Work and Pensions Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP has slammed the UK Government for pandering to ‘poverty myths’ as new research shows more and more people believe that individual characteristics rather than societal issues cause poverty.
A report for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has examined the links between public attitudes to poverty, welfare and the state of the economy using data collected as part of the British Societal Attitudes survey. It found that the traditional view that the poor were seen sympathetically during recessions has disappeared, with more people thinking that recipients of benefits are undeserving.
Dr Whiteford has previously criticised George Osborne for reinforcing negative stereotypes of those on benefits and using the low paid and unemployed as scapegoats to deflect from their own economic failure.
Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:
“Sadly, these findings are not surprising considering the rhetoric of the UK Government is full of ill-informed assumptions and not based on facts or research. The real solution to unemployment is growth and jobs, which Westminster is failing to deliver on, yet Osborne uses the low paid and unemployed as scapegoats to deflect attention from their own economic failure, while cutting taxes for millionaires.
“Previous comments by George Osborne show just how out of touch with the real world he is. The Chancellor's Budget speech last month on welfare reform hid the complexity of the true nature of poverty in the UK - which his Tory austerity agenda is increasing.
“Osborne has said that in 2010 alone, payments to working age families cost £90 billion, and that was ‘one reason why we’ve got such a big deficit.’ However the proportion of our tax bills spent on welfare has remained stable for the last 20 years.
“Welfare dependency is also not entrenched as the UK government would have us believe- evidence suggests that in less than 0.1% of the 20 million working age households in the UK there are 2 generations that have never had a permanent job.
The numbers of such families, if any exist, are so small that no survey has yet been able to detect the much cited three generations of worklessness.
"We need a welfare system that reflects Scotland’s values, helps working families and protects the most disadvantaged people - and a fairer welfare system for Scotland can only be achieved with a Yes vote in September next year.
“A clear majority of people in Scotland already want decisions on taxation, benefits and pensions to be taken by Holyrood rather than Westminster, where our MPs have little ability to prevent such damaging measures as the iniquitous Bedroom Tax.”
Findings for the Rowntree Foundation can be found here:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/media-
The Chancellor’s Budget speech from last month can be viewed here:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/
Research on commonly held ‘poverty myths’ as part of the publication “Lies we tell ourselves: ending comfortable myths about poverty” can be found here:
http://www.jointpublicissues.
Yougov/SNP (Fieldwork: 20th-22nd March 2013)
Sample size: 1105 Scottish adults
Which government do you think should be responsible for all tax and spending decisions in Scotland, including tax revenues from oil and gas?
The UK government 35
The Scottish government 52
Don't know 13
Which government do you think would be best at deciding welfare and pensions policy for Scotland?
The UK government 34
The Scottish government 53
Don't know 13
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