Eighteen Church of England bishops have openly criticised the Government's welfare reform proposals. The bishops have expressed their concerns over plans to limit the sum of money any household is able to claim in welfare benefits to £500 per week. Both the Archbishop of York and the Archbishop of Canterbury have backed their criticisms. The Government claims that the changes to the benefits system have been designed to prevent benefit dependency.
The bishops claim that the cap on the amount that households can receive in benefits per week could have a profound effect on children from low-income families and are urging the Government to make amendments to the welfare system changes. The Government believes that the changes to the system, which are set to be introduced in 2013, will save £7 billion and will encourage individuals currently receiving benefits to enter into employment.
The Children's Society, which has backed the bishops' criticisms, has voiced its own concerns over the 80,000 children who they claim could be made homeless because of the changes. The society has proposed that the Government should exclude child benefit when calculating the amount a household receives in benefits.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson claims that the proposed cap on benefits would prove equivalent to a yearly salary of £35,000 before tax. The spokesperson added that it was unjust that households receiving out-of-work benefits could receive a larger income than average working households could.
Duncan Lewis’ welfare benefits solicitors are able to advise clients on the financial support that they are able to receive from the Government.