Once we were 'poor dears', now we are 'benefit cheats', said
a demonstrator at last year's rally of disabled people against the welfare bill
neatly summing up the government-instigated hate campaign against the most
vulnerable in society.
Cameron and Osborne aim to make welfare itself a dirty word
implying taxpayers’ money is being wasted on undeserving “shirkers” who receive
over-generous payments from a system riddled with fraud and delivered by an
inefficient and expensive public sector. All lies and myths. Unemployment is in
reality about five million, including one million young people. Benefits are
the lowest in Europe, except Estonia, and the contentious figure of £1 billion
lost to fraud is dwarfed by the £16bn in unclaimed benefits.
A quarter of all cuts are from welfare with another £10bn
announced in the recent budget. These cuts will mean the impoverishment and
marginalisation of millions and drive those least able to defend themselves
into appalling poverty. But it is also a fundamental assault on democracy and
accountability as the government never sought nor was given a mandate to
destroy the safety net that was, however inadequate, in place to prevent people
from literally starving or going without shelter. Behind it all is
privatisation in an attempt to slash the social wage and bash the victims of
the economic crisis to extract every last drop of profit.
Welfare top priority
The government attempts to divide employed from unemployed
workers but we all suffer from the welfare proposals which end universal
benefits and cap tax credits, affecting millions of low-paid people, the very
members we represent. Welfare must be a top priority for the trade union
movement, as it clearly is for the government.
PCS’s welfare
alternative pamphlet is a vital contribution to this debate and a guide to
action. Welfare is a fundamental right, not a privilege. The labour and trade
union movement demanded adequate welfare provision to afford working people
some basic protection against the vagaries of a ruthless system that placed
profit above people. State provision was demanded because the private sector
and the charities were incapable of delivering such services in an effective
way.
It is important we engage in and define the terms of the
debate while fighting these attacks. Welfare, or more precisely social
security, concerns issues like unemployment and disability rights but also low
income, housing, child poverty and childcare and pensions. It is at the very core
of the debate about what type of society we want to live in and the quality of
life itself.
Demanding a fair system
For our union particularly welfare is an industrial issue -
our members administer the system. That means our demands rightly include the
need for the system to be delivered by the public sector and that public sector
workers must be well trained, adequately resourced and well paid.
But it is a social and political issue too and we must be at
the forefront of raising and popularising demands for a fair and equitable
welfare system. That means arguing for job creation, a dignified standard of
living for those unable to work for whatever reasons, much increased benefit
levels and a substantially increased minimum wage or living wage.
We demand an end to privatised assessment for disabled
people, that child poverty is tackled and for adequate childcare. The principal
cause of child poverty - low benefit and pay levels - needs to be removed as
well as an end to the exploitation of housing benefit by unscrupulous landlords
and sufficient council should be provided. There are sound economic arguments
too: all serious research shows strong welfare systems produce stronger
economies, support not punishment is the way to get people into work.
We have held excellent public meetings on welfare recently. Let’s now step up
this work which is a vital part of our opposition to the cuts and attacks on
our members
