How will Brexit affect people in poverty and on benefits – and why won’t the DWP say?
Food bank: Will Boris Johnson’s Brexit increase the length of the queue? And why won’t the DWP tell us what its research has revealed?
The Department for Work and Pensions has analysed the impact of Brexit on people in poverty, on low incomes and on benefits – but won’t publish the findings. Why not?
That is the question put by the Scottish National Party over the weekend, with a deafening silence as the DWP’s only response.
According to Welfare Weekly:
The call for the full publication of the findings comes after the Poverty Alliance used a Freedom of Information request to ask whether or not the DWP had carried out any assessments to look at the impact of different Brexit scenarios on levels of poverty and inequality in the UK, as well as analysis on the impact on low-income households, on wages, employment and costs of living.
The DWP replied to confirm that it does hold some of the analysis but that it would not publish any of the findings as it was not in the public interest to do so.
The call for the full publication of the findings comes after the Poverty Alliance used a Freedom of Information request to ask whether or not the DWP had carried out any assessments to look at the impact of different Brexit scenarios on levels of poverty and inequality in the UK, as well as analysis on the impact on low-income households, on wages, employment and costs of living.
The DWP replied to confirm that it does hold some of the analysis but that it would not publish any of the findings as it was not in the public interest to do so.
Why is it “not in the public interest”?
Neil Gray, the SNP’s Social Justice spokesperson, reckons he knows why – we have a “Tory government intent on inflicting a damaging policy no matter the price ordinary people and families will have to pay.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that a Tory Brexit will push vulnerable people across Scotland and the UK into further poverty and hardship, yet the UK government callously carries on regardless.
“People are already suffering under a decade of Tory austerity, however analysis has shown time and time again that under all Brexit scenarios, jobs will be lost, wages will be hit and people’s living standards will be harmed.”
Rather than not being in the public interest for the expected impact to be known, then, isn’t it more accurate to say that it wouldn’t be in the Tories’ interest?
We won’t know until we see the report.
So let’s have it.
Source: DWP urged to publish ‘secret’ Brexit impact analysis
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They know the effects will be catastrophic so they daren’t say. The effects of Tory welfare reforms and total mismanagement of Social Security have been catastrophic as it is, having caused much unnecessary suffering, hardship, poverty and tens of thousands of untimely deaths. It’s hard to imagine how much worse it could possibly get. The Benefits system will collapse if there as many job losses as are being predicted, and the foodbanks certainly won’t be able to cope with the extra demand as they are stretched to the limits as it is. I seriously think we will see troops on the streets perhaps distributing UN Aid. The future is not looking good.
They won’t publish the results as they don’t want us to know how many of us they expect to die.
The DWP has been killing off disabled for the last 10 years, Brexit will give it the chance to speed up the process
The RICH and the Royal. .That’s all they care about
Turn the poor against each other, whilst the RICH live off the fat of land.
Oliver Twist, f real. Bring back workhouses.. DICKENSONS, 1800s,here we cum. No heart, unless it affects THEIR pay.
Worse thg is. These stupid WORKING Class idiots. R blaming Benefit claimer.. Their doing the TORYs work f them,
TORY SYMPETHISERS, the lot of them. They’ve played right int the hand of the DEVIL(TORYs )
Their MASTERS (torys) r LAFFING ATthem, not with them, cos their scamming them too.. But using unemployed as a mirage.
They deserve EVERYTHING they get.. TRAITORS. They shud of stuck wid poor, t oppose torys. Like I said.. Traitors (working class).
Why don’t the people living in hardship get jobs and then they won’t live in hardship
Well, I certainly hope you find yourself in their position, and then you might learn – the hard way – the answer to your question!
Many people living in hardship do have jobs, of course.
So are you saying that if you work you don’t suffer with hardship ? Well I don’t know what you earn but have you ever heard of workers tax credits ? That was brought in for the working class because the wagers was so low remember the first hourly rate Mr Blair brought in 2.20 a hour I had to do ninety hours a week and I was still struggling . If the European Union really cared about the working class why didn’t they do something everyone knows even three hundred a week’s your struggling five hundred a week is what the working class need to pull them out of poverty and get the unemployed back to work but will they get it simple answer is NO
This is scaremongering , Universal Credit is nothing to do with Brexit. People were out of work BEFORE the EU. The fact is Tories do the damage whatever happens , maybe because of immigration there may be something to do with the benefits system and Brexit , but how things will be different the mess it is for UK citizens is not to with Brexit. Does Brussels pay benefits???
You’re missing the point entirely. Brexit will affect people in poverty and on benefits. We don’t know how, because the DWP is refusing to release the details of its analysis. So you can’t say that UC won’t be affected by it.
It’s all guess work you can write any analysis too suite both sides and nobody knows what will happen as there has never been a template to go buy so all there is , is scaremongering I mean bread milk butter and meat and vegetables we produce are own so why should they go up certain foods we get from abroad could cost more but New Zealand lamb will still be the same because it’s not in the EU if energy goes up it will be them who are own by the European companies just to punish us and if life going to be so bad why have more Eastern European’s still coming here a sight more than that have left doesn’t make sense and why are they still foreign companies still trading in this country if it’s going to be so bad why haven’t they gone ?
Why is Brexit always to blame? Food banks, homeless,cut backs on NHS,police,mental health has been going on long before the vote..the government and all the other MPs have shown how much they are concerned about us. It’s will always be the poorest in society that will give the most. We know what it’s like to be hungry,we know the stress of getting through today let alone tomorrow.
You can find money HST for toton but what about the old the poor families and people who had benefits stop where is coming from people who who lost their benefits have go to the food bank when Mrs Mary was saying people on benefits have to find a job when they no job to for how people who are in 70 and 80 find a job and who blind who one arm or and one leg and no legs or hands
I had a medical exam which proved farcical.I lodged Appeal etc and complained about “Health Professional” I received letter from his employer stating my blood pressure was dangerously high and exam fell well short of their professional standards they also informed DWP. On speaking with the person at company concerned they stated Laura from DWP had ordered them to suppress these facts from me.They further stated they are sick and tired of decision makers forcing them to lie in order to deprive claimants. I have informed Appeals Tribunal that this alters simple error of misjudgment to Common Law fraud by DWP. The Tribunal have written to DWP several times to have them present their case at Tribunal set for 4/09/2019. They have not responded.WHY?All claimants should seriously query these unlawful point less examinations and where fraud results the person committing the crime should have to face the Courts.