Overhaul Of Benefit Schemes

By Author: Henry Ford
Total Articles: 189
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The poverty issue is always present even though it often takes that form of the ‘absent presence,’ as it is a reality that does has always not merited the attention that it deserves. The definition of poverty, how it is talked about and understood speaks a lot about the nature of policy, the shape and political response concerning the issue. Some argue that poverty and inequality are due to social injustice and unfairness. Poor people and the disadvantaged are viewed as vulnerable and require more state support. This is in line with the Marxist viewpoint. Others however claim that the poor are defiant and they play a big role in contributing to their precarious situation. In this perspective the poor are viewed as a problem or an underclass group that require strict management. They are described in a derogatory and condemning way. They therefore tend to be socially excluded from most issues. In the process, this distances them from the other members of the other members of the society. The two views are known as the dependency and the exclusion based explanation of the persistence of poverty.

In Britain for ...
... instance it has been clearly stated that. It is no longer going to be possible to expect anyone else to make payments for people who are not willing to work. This is said to help check the problem of welfare cheats. Hardworking low income earners can no longer tolerate those they suspect to be cheating on benefits. Benefit scroungers this time round will have to do fulltime work or else lose their dole just after three months. This is due to the drastic welfare system overhaul. James Purnell who is the Welfare Secretary will unveil a scheme that requires the beneficiaries to work for the dole which is the U.S. style. Those unemployed for a period of two years have to pick on fulltime duties so as to benefit from handouts. Those scroungers who do not look for any job will be on the ‘work for dole’ scheme after three months. A government source reported that was no one who had a right to the life of benefits and incase there is suitable work, people have to take it. Tough sanctions will have to be directed towards those scroungers who try to play the system.

The taxpayers will benefit from this because the welfare bill will be slashed as many people return to permanent jobs. Even the single parents who have children aged seven years have to work or else lose their welfare money as much as they have been taking benefits until the child gets to be sixteen years. There is a move to find out what the sick and disabled can do and not necessarily what they cannot do. Efforts have been made which are geared towards reforming the welfare system although many members of parliament are opposed to the shakeups which they view as being too harsh.

It is said that the main reason for the existence of poverty in the contemporary society is due to the existence of the dependency culture. There are several groups like the unemployed or single parents who rely on and have all their hopes on the state welfare benefits and hence remain trapped in poverty. Poverty while viewed in a perspective of a social problem can be said to be a deep wound that penetrates all dimensions of society and culture. It entails low income levels for the people. Such people lack access to crucial services like healthcare, education, communal services like roads, water, sanitation, communication and transportation. Poor people are also characterized by lack of the decision making.

Furthermore, the ‘poverty spirit’ allows the affected to believe in as well as share apathy, despair, hopelessness and timidity. Poverty is a social problem and hence its solutions are social. It cannot be fought by the alleviation of its symptoms as most benefits agencies do but by dealing with factors that cause it. The transfer of money to the poverty victims does not reduce or eradicate poverty. This only helps to alleviate its symptoms on a short-term basis. This solution is not durable.

On the world scale, poverty has several historical causes like conquest, slavery, colonialism and war. On the other hand factors that which maintain poverty conditions are different. Many European nations faced devastating wars during the two world wars and were reduced to extreme poverty and people depended on charity, and handouts for survival. Within several decades they have managed to pull out of it in the aspects of domestic income and have become influential and thriving modern nations composed of prosperous people. At the same time many nations remain among the least developed as much as billions of dollars in the form of ‘aid’ have been spend on them. This is due to the fact that only the symptoms of poverty were dealt with and not the factors. The dependency syndrome is a weakness which has been worsened by charity.

Development means growth which entails more than getting bigger. It involves becoming stronger and complex. Development is characterized by social change. Development implies social changes in all the cultural dimensions that are economic, interactive, political, technological, and ideological as well as the world view. Dependency is a result of being on the charities’ receiving end. Charity is only essential for survival after a disaster and it offers short term solutions. Its long run effect could be the recipients’ demise and the ongoing poverty. It is a mindset that one is poor, that he/she is helpless and cannot help him/herself and hence depend on an outside assistance. This is a self justifying factor which perpetuates poverty and it is an attitude that recommends dependency on the outside help.

The proposed scheme is aimed at empowering and it is the best alternative to charity. It provides training, capital and assistance targeting low income earners and the incapacitated. It makes them identify their own resources as well as take responsibility for their own development. It is aimed at enhancing self reliance and eliminates the dependency syndrome.

According to the exclusion based view on the existence of poverty, it is said to result from some people being marginalized in the economic production process and hence limiting their life chances. Poverty has been perceived to be caused by inequality in the societal structures. This leads to some people being denied opportunity and hence they are perpetually disadvantaged. The inequalities could be in the form of gender, race, income and wealth. People are tend to be excluded on the event that they do not form part of those networks that support most individuals in the ordinary life in families, friendships, community as well as employment. Those who are poor, the sick, the disabled, the homeless, psychiatric patients and even ex-prisoners are the one that have high chances of being excluded. This leads to deprivation, social isolation, social insecurity, stigma and even relationship issues. The financial context of exclusion is actually identified with poverty and it incapacitates ones ability of participating in normal activities.

In summary, poverty as a problem cannot be addressed by increasing benefits. There needs to be a significant transformation in the behavior and values of the poor people. The issue of poverty needs not to be ignored. The relevant strategies need to be put in place to combat the whole issue. The social inequalities have to be dealt with if at all poverty has to be curbed. Policies should be put in place so as to eliminate the issue of ‘underclass’ and segregation. Those policies that encourage inequality should be eliminated. There is need to develop some modern form of a social solidarity that has its basis on renewed progressive self-interest. In the event that there is a direct transfer of surplus particularly from the well-off to those who are less well-off the possibility of dependency will always arise. Wealth redistribution might not be the solution to poverty but it might in the real sense perpetuate it. The idea of taxing those who are rich so as to assist the poor might not really work. It is work that will lift people from poverty. Creating a stable and growing economy could be one of the magic tricks that will help tackle the issue.

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