Tucked away in a report on inflation in your financial pages (17 October) was confirmation of growing fears that the government are considering reneging on earlier ministerial assurances that the four-year freeze of most working-age benefits would not be renewed next year. Until the change of prime minister, criticisms of the freeze were deflected with just such an assurance.
Of course, simply reverting to the long-standing duty to index-link benefits would do nothing to make good the significant cuts in real value highlighted in your story. But it did at least offer a ray of hope to those struggling on benefits too low to meet the human rights standard of allowing “life in dignity”.
Now, you quote the new work and pensions secretary as saying “we’re looking very carefully right now on what we can do on benefits going forward from 2020”, as if they are somehow constrained in what they can do. Compare and contrast with the pledges of tax cuts for the better-off. So much for the PM’s promises of one nation Conservatism.
Ruth Lister
Labour, House of Lords
• Simon McKinnon (Letters, 18 October) appears unable to see that “the service most of us expect and enjoy from our banking apps, shopping websites or utility providers” is a world away from the life experience of many entitled to benefits. It is because so many claimants have no access to computers and can’t afford to shop online that the service being offered by the DWP is so inadequate. The “face to face” support for those who need help is simply not happening.
Linda Rhead
Hampton, London
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