Welfare Voices Seminar

Inclusion and Locus hosted an event for experts and local providers within the welfare to work world to respond to the green paper. The aim of this seminar was to listen to the Welfare Voices in NI and discuss the impacts of these proposed changes on individuals and families in Northern Ireland.

Keynote Speaker: Margaret Ritchie, Minister, Department of Social Development

“No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility”, published 21 July 2008, is a wide ranging consultation on the future of welfare. The Green Paper sets out plans for improving support and work incentives to create a system that “rewards responsibility”.

It’s aim is to achieve an 80% employment rate for the UK, with less people on benefits and more conditions for those people who do claim. It’s far reaching proposals could have a considerable impact on every person claiming benefits in Northern Ireland. People on JSA, lone parents and disabled people claiming Incapacity Benefit (Employment Support Allowance from October) will all be affected. The consultation runs to 22nd October and anyone working with claimants should consider submitting a response.

Download the presentations by clicking on the names:

Derek Alcorn, Citizens Advice Bureau

Marie Cavanagh, Gingerbread NI

Dr Jay Wigan, Queen's University Belfast

Click here to download the Agenda

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