In the news
Read the latest news on how we are working to create a London free from poverty
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Select Committee inquiry into the Welfare Safety Net
As the Work & Pensions Select Committee begins a new inquiry into the reasons so many people are falling through the Welfare Safety Net into severe poverty and destitution, Z2K's Marc Francis explains why we hope they will take a closer look at the role played by the "localisation" of Council Tax Benefit.
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DWP’s “welfare reform” agenda hits disabled children too
With all the focus on DWP's dreadful assessment process for Employment Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment, its easy to overlook the problems some families with very vulnerable children face getting Disability Living Allowance. Z2K caseworker, Andy McCarthy, explains here how he helped one young client.
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Two-Child Limit: Discriminating against families locally as well as nationally
As the legal and political challenge to the two-child limit on Tax Credits and Universal Credit gathers pace, many local authorities are also quietly applying it to their local Council Tax Reduction schemes
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Back Door cuts to Council Tax Support
Until now attention has focussed on the Minimum Payment level in each authority's Council Tax Reduction scheme, but our new research reveals which London Boroughs are using the Minimum Income Floor from Universal Credit to cut support to local self-employed claimants
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Universal Credit – Fast track to a food bank
Z2K's Tenancy Engagement Officer, Eimear Twomey, explains how one of her clients has been left without enough to live on after being put onto Universal Credit
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Leaving Z2K: A fond farewell
As our Policy and Campaigns Officer Jen Durrant prepares to move on to new challenges, she reflects on some of the highlights from her time at Z2K and the opportunities within the role
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Universal Credit: the new Poll Tax?
Policy Director Marc Francis reflects on the latest warning from former PM John Major that Universal Credit is becoming the new Poll Tax
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The benefit cap unfairly hits people who are unable to work
As MPs reopen their enquiry into the benefit cap, Z2K Policy Director Marc Francis outlines the injustices of the cap and why we’re arguing for change
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Has ICE Thawed? One Degree of Change – Progress with the Independent Case Examiner
The complaints process in public authorities is often a very slow and arduous one. At times it seems as if it is designed to put people off at every step of the way
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Right to Reside: DWP errors threaten EU workers
Our volunteer caseworker Mike Haran explains how DWP errors can push EU workers into rent arrears and homelessness, and why effective support is so important
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Housing Costs under Universal Credit: Inadequate, Mismanaged and Harmful
For too many people, the change from legacy benefits to Universal Credit has brought huge problems with their housing and ability to pay rent
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PTSD and the Welfare System
Sufferers of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder who apply for social security payments are frequently having their symptoms overlooked and their conditions ignored, forcing them to go through the long, draining process of appeal in order to get the payments they are entitled to.
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