ABSTRACT
The Government’s departures from Beveridge’s principle that benefits should be adequate both in amount and duration are mostly ill-advised. Wherever they might overlap with pensions, working-age benefits are cut to pension level; and unemployment benefit is limited to 30 weeks at a stretch. Apart from the sub-standard unemployment and sickness benefits for people above retirement age, discussed above, sickness benefit below retirement age is to be cut to the lowest pension level after 3 years, and renamed “invalidity” benefit. The Government want to apply pressure by stopping benefit after 30 weeks. Both in this case and in the case of the man disallowed benefit for unreasonably refusing an offer of training or employment, it is assumed that the recalcitrant worker will see reason when he realises that he must apply for assistance if he persists in refusing to make the changes expected of him.
