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Read the latest news & blogs on how we are working to create a London free from poverty
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The Benefit Cap: after a damning indictment of one of the Government’s flagship welfare reform policies, the question now is what happens next?
Marc Francis reflects on the Work and Pensions Select Committee's recent report on the Benefit Cap and writes about next steps.
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Blocked from bidding: FOIs reveal Boroughs blocking homeless families on Universal Credit from successfully bidding for permanent accommodation
Daniel writes a piece based on one of his complaints and Freedom of Information requests revealing which Boroughs are effectively blocking homeless families on Universal Credit from successfully bidding for social housing because they are automatically in arrears.
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DWP Letters to GPs: Why it Matters
Raji writes about our #ScraptheLetters campaign which launched on Monday calling on the department for work and pensions to withdraw their misleading and damaging letters telling GPs to withhold sick notes from the ill and disabled people seeking Employment and Support Allowance.
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My 8 Year Journey with Z2K: From volunteer, to staff member to deputy chair of the board
For International Women's Day, Emma Lough writes about her 8 year journey with us from a volunteer, to staff member to deputy chair of the board.
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Important News from Newham Council in Support of Poorest Residents
Last month Marc addressed Newham's Mayor and councillors in support of their decision to halve Council Tax Support charges for disabled and unemployed residents and end use of bailiffs against poorest claimants.
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Universal Credit: When “Natural Migration” causes more harm than good
When Judy found herself being moved on to Universal Credit, she had not anticipated the stress and financial anxiety it would cause her. Rather than helping her to take control of her life, it has set her back in her mental health and ability to live independently. Z2K Caseworker, Natasha Cross, on UC and natural migration. UPDATE: Our evidence to the Work and Pensions committee has now been published.
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An Exciting Collaboration with the ice&fire theatre Group
The end of November 2018 welcomed a very exciting pilot: an ice&fire theatre group collaborative project with Z2K and South West London Law Centre’s Stepping Stones project. The project is a participatory theatre group drama workshop with a focus on using arts and creative activism to explore human rights stories through performance. Z2K's Caseworker, Vier Baptiste, writes about the project.
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The importance of tenant voice, particularly for those most at risk of poverty and homelessness
'As Shelter pushes forward with its campaign demand for 3.1 million more social homes over the next 20 years, we must also continue to argue for greater tenant voice, particularly for those most at risk of poverty and homelessness'. Raji, our CEO, on her work as Commissioner for the Shelter report and campaign.
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A Culture of Disbelief
In her first blog as Policy and Campaigns Officer, Ella reflects on her first few weeks at Z2K and her experience of shadowing our caseworkers. She focuses on attending one of our clients' Employment and Support Allowance Tribunal and expands on the disability benefits process as a whole.
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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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