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Economics & Social Policy Blogs
The public is more than ready to see benefits made fair
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien calls for the re-establishment of the contributory principle in the welfare system. He praises the government for strengthening jobsearch requirements but says that more needs to be done to target those furthest away from the labour market and tailor support towards their specific needs.
Why we should change the child poverty target
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien shows why we should change the Child Poverty Target – which currently only measures inequality rather than actual poverty – to one which measures a range of indicators including unemployment and education.
Foster Care Reforms Needed Alongside Focus On Adoption
Head of Economics & Social Policy Matthew Oakley sets out the reforms recommended for the foster care system in Policy Exchange report Fostering Aspirations, including boosting the number of carers, ensuring local authorities make better use of private and third sector providers and having the Secretary of State be more proactive where local authorities are failing.
Like father like son: how unemployment in one generation turns up again in the next
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien highlights academic research showing that sons of unemployed fathers are up to 25% more likely to be unemployed for a year than the sons of working fathers.
How can we get childcare to be cheaper and better?
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien shows how heavy, and often crude, regulation is driving up the cost of childcare. He highlights some particularly bizarre Ofsted childcare regulations.
Is the north really dependent on public sector jobs? Actually, it’s not so simple
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien uses ONS data to show that the public/private sector job divide isn’t simply split by North and South but is actually spread more evenly than people assume. He argues that the biggest challenge for the government is to reduce the overall levels of local unemployment, especially outside the South East.
Fifteen years on incapacity benefit, then told you are fit to work. It’s a very big moment
With new figures revealing that huge numbers of people previously claiming Incapacity Benefit are now being deemed capable of some form of work Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien points out that this new influx of newly capable workers will be a big shock to jobcentres and the welfare system.
Benefits: the disabled and deserving?
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien makes the case for a carefully thought out reform of disability benefits. Neil stresses the importance of getting the tone of the reforms right in order to prevent those claiming DLA being seen as “spongers”.
Rich children and poor children are living in different worlds. What can we do about it?
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien sets out some thoughts on how the government could narrow the gap between rich and poor children through pre-school education.
Why the Conservatives need to resolve our housing problem
Policy Exchange’s Director of Communications Nick Faith cites findings from report Northern Lights which show that those who do not own their own home are far less likely to vote Conservative than those who do. He argues that coupled with the current housing crisis and fewer and fewer people able to afford to get on the property ladder, this could cause electoral problems for the Tories.
