Families to bail out banks

"The government has decided that women, families and children will bear the brunt of cutting the deficit," Ruth Lister, head of social policy at Loughborough University told a TUC forum on 22nd July 2010

Although the government claims that the emergency budget is fair, the combined effect of changes to benefits and service cuts is hitting the poorest hardest, especially low paid women workers and their families.

The Chancellor has claimed that the budget will "have no adverse impact on child poverty".

But, according to research by Ms Lister, the government is asking families with children to make an additional contribution that others are not paying.

"Gender and family friendliness are vitally important when we're talking about passing the fairness test," said Ms Lister.

"The conservative manifesto promised to 'make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe'," she said, "yet there seems to have been no assessment of how the budget will affect the coalition's family-friendly agenda".

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has recently advised the Treasury of its legal obligation to carry out an equality impact assessment of the budget.

"We need to remind the government of its duties to do an equality impact assessment of the emergency budget, and the spending review expected later this year," said Ms Lister.

Cuts to services announced in the budget, and housing benefit changes, will also hit women hardest. Research commissioned by UNISON, shows that service cuts will mean the poorest tenth of households will lose the equivalent of 20.5% of their household income, whilst the richest tenth will lose just 1.6%.

Service cuts will be particularly harsh for low-paid women, who make up most of the public sector workforce, and their families and children.

Low paid workers, who already face pay freezes and job cuts, will now also see their services and household income cut.

The government is planning to cap and put restrictions on housing benefit, which many hard-working low-income families depend on to meet rising housing costs.

Freezing of child benefit, and focusing on Child Tax Credits, which will be reduced and withdrawn from many families also indicates a shift in government policy from universal to means-tested benefits for families and children, warned Ms Lister.



Ruth Lister's blog

Women's budget group - Gender impact assessment of the coalition government budget

UNISON's Million Voices for Public Services campaign

UNISON visit to Enable HQ

Following on from a meeting with UNISON members in the Enable HQ today, it was suggested that access to some of the information below would be useful to members.

• Personalisation: UNISON's report
• Direct Payments in Scotland: joint UNISON, SPAEN, GCIL and SCDPSO statement
• Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme

An in-depth study, published by UNISON, explores the complex relationship between working, juggling childcare responsibilities and low pay, a relationship that traps people into low wage jobs, with little chance of progression.


The knock-on effect to families is huge. From working two jobs, taking shifts on the weekend, or feeling too tired to discipline their children or help out with homework, many parents on low wages fear their kids are missing out on vital care and support.

Working alongside researchers from the Working Lives Research Institute from London Metropolitan University, UNISON members discussed and documented the effects of low pay, long and unsocial hours and/or multiple jobs on their own lives and those of their children.

The Impact of Low Pay on UNISON’s Families is available here

'Here's how you can cut the deficit' - Mr Cameron

UNISON had a message for David Cameron today, in response to his invitation for public service workers to suggest ways of cutting the deficit.
A letter to the prime minister made our ideas quite clear. It said:

"Dear Dave,

"You asked us how we could cut the deficit. We believe you can do this without devastating public services. Here's how:

"Stop cutting vital public services.

"Stop cutting public service jobs.

"Cut bankers' bonuses and bring in a Robin Hood tax.

"Keep services in-house, instead of paying consultants.

"Cut out the privatisation profiteers.

"Thanks for listening,

"From 1.3 million public service workers in UNISON."

General secretary Dave Prentis said: "Our members didn't cause the recession. It wasn't a nurse or a social worker or a teaching assistant that gambled millions on the stock exchange and almost brought the economy down.

"So our members should not have to pay. It's time that those who created the crisis paid for it

In our alternative budget and here, UNISON has shown how it can be done without making public services workers and our communities suffer."

There's still time to let the prime minister get the message by clicking here and leaving your comments. And let us know what you've said by emailing millionvoices@unison.co.uk.

You can find more ideas in UNISON's alternative budget here.

Click here to join our Million Voices campaign to defend public services.

National Office UNISON stall

Please come along to the Boardroom on 2nd Floor between 12.00 and 2.00 on Friday 9th July 2010.

This will be a chance to find out more about UNISON and discuss the changes at National Office.

Find out how UNISON can help you, all the benefits of membership and join on the day.

Drop in for 5 minutes or longer.

All welcome.

For further information contact Robert Rae