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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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Legacy Benefits – a year of denial
A year ago, I was one of millions watching the Chancellor’s press conference outlining an emergency package for businesses and individuals affected by the lockdown. When he announced that the Standard Allowance for Universal Credit (UC) would go up by £20 a week, I remember being shocked.
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Making sure London’s Recovery Addresses Poverty and Inequality too
Z2K was really pleased to hear about the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s decision earlier this summer to set up the London Recovery Board to examine what needs to be done for the Capital to be a better place after the pandemic than it was before it started. With the dreaded second wave of Covid-19 now upon us that might feel like a huge uphill challenge or even a distraction. But the reality is that London is a deeply unequal city and that has to change in future, not least if the Mayor himself is to deliver on his own original 2016 promises.
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We will continue to fight poverty in our founder Reverend Paul Nicholson’s name
Reverend Paul Nicolson might no longer be with us, but we should take inspiration from his life and work. In the meantime, today our hearts and thoughts are with Paul’s family and friends.
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Z2K gives evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee on behalf of the DBC
Z2K's Marc Francis gave evidence to the newly formed Work and Pensions Committee on behalf of the DBC. He explained the inadequacies of the current assessment process for disability benefits, and how many unwell people could be left without benefits for months on end due to COVID-19
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Westminster Homelessness Strategy: why more ambition is needed
In this piece, Marc reflects on Westminster City Council's Homelessness Strategy 2019 - 2024, Supreme Court judgements and why there must be more ambition to deliver more genuinely affordable social housing
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It should not be so hard for young people to live safely in privately rented accommodation
Why we welcome the Young Women’s Trust’s call for the removal of the Shared Rate of Accommodation for 25-34 year olds.
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Press Release: DWP Response to Work & Pensions Inquiry into the Benefit Cap
Anti-poverty charity, Z2K today slammed DWP’s response to the Work & Pensions Select Committee as “complacent” and “harmful”. The charity, which has helped hundreds of families affected by the cap since its introduction in 2013, was amongst those organisations giving evidence to the committee as part of its inquiry last autumn into the impact of the lower cap.
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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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Press Release: Time to Scrap the Cap
Anti-poverty charity, Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2K), today welcomed the Work & Pensions Select Committee’s damning criticism of the Government’s Benefit Cap on Social Security.
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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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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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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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