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The Welfare Reform White Paper Universal Credit: Welfare That Works published today (11 November 2010) sets out details of the Government’s programme to overhaul the welfare benefits system and tackle the ‘culture of worklessness’. The new Credit, available for people both in and out of work, will provide a basic amount with additions for those with children and other caring responsibilities, people with disabilities and…

The Government has announced (1 November 2010) new measures to boost enterprise and help the nearly five million small and medium private sector companies in the country grow and boost enterprise across Britain. The Government says these businesses are vital to economic growth as they provide 60 per cent of jobs and half of GDP. But despite 66 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) being…

Excellent people management will be crucial if the public services, and the businesses which depend upon them, are to survive these current tight times. the CIPD has said. In the Comprehensive Spending Review (20 October 2010), Chancellor George Osborne revealed average cuts in departmental budgets of 19 per cent over four years. Local authorities will face 7.1 per cent annual cut in their budgets, while the…

The Government has announced (20 October 2010) its intention to cut public spending in the UK by £81 billion a year by 2014/2015 in order to eliminate the structural budget deficit. Key measures to achieve this will include: A cut to Government Departmental budgets of around 19% on average, with a loss of around half a million public sector jobs Cuts to the welfare budget  …