PCS are spearheading a united campaign against welfare cuts alongside other trade unions and charities. Welfare isn’t about ‘strivers’ vs ‘scroungers’. But you wouldn’t know it from reading the papers. Here we bust some of the favourite myths.
- Contrary to the impression many tabloid newspapers give there are many people entitled to benefits who are in work and not unemployed. These include benefits such as tax credits.
- There is often a view that life on benefits is easy and many people cheat the system. This is not true. Since the link between benefits and earnings was ended under the Thatcher government the level of benefits has fallen from 20% of average waged income to only 10%.
- The way Universal Credit is administered will make it more accessible – the government is determined everyone should claim benefits online. On the contrary this will hurt many who are entitled to benefits. One in three people with disabilities has never used the internet.
