On Monday 29 April the 'revolution' began. The government's Universal Credit Scheme designed both to simplify the benefits system and disincentivise dependency on it began... in Ashton-under-Lyne.
Many of us are half-aware that such figures - these almost pantomime like caricatures of sloth and wretchedness - exist as a tiny minority, but the need to find a visible and sinister repository in which to place our fears is both seductive and satisfying
Working hard is intrinsically a good and moral thing to do - the so-called 'Work Ethic' - does this really exist? Is the work ethic even regarded as a good thing any more? 'Work-life balance' is all the vogue, so perhaps the 'work ethic' destroys family life and over all contentment?
The welfare system, not benefit claimants, deserves the full, unmitigated might of British grumbling. Why? Because the current system does not reward any attempt to find work and no one should be expected to develop a social conscience while foregoing personal gain.
The coalition government have, up to now, been fastidiously careful not to rattle the cage of a section of society well-known for its mainly Conservative leanings. It seems likely that any dent in this traditional groundswell of support could have disastrous consequences for the Tory Party's chances of remaining on the political map come 2015 and election time.
Commentators who support the changes will focus on the simplification of the welfare system and improvement in work incentives that this new benefit will herald. Those worried about the impacts will wring their hands about likely difficulties with on-line claims, financial management and a small number of people who stand to receive less than under the current system. Both of these groups have a point.
So who are the people on benefits, really? The answer actually seems to be most of us. 64% of families, and about 30million individual people - half the total population of the UK. The people on benefits are our friends, colleagues and neighbours, our families, ourselves.
On Monday the Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, was challenged by a northern market stall trader to live on £53 a week. This concept caught fire as an online petition was set up and quickly received over 450k signatures.
Iain Duncan Smith was riled to be "ambushed" on a radio programmed (not guilty) and challenged to survive on the £53 a week that a benefit claimant said he had to subsist on. It was not really an ambush as such - Iain's job is being a politician, and so talking to people who might not agree with his every utterance and who might have issues with his policies and the direction the government is taking is, sort of, his job and deliberately going on a radio programme to talk about benefit scroungers does rather leave one open to that sort of thing.
A tip of the hat to Twitter's fine Daily Mail spoof account @DMReporter, which outdid itself on Sunday when it launched the hashtag #banbenefits with ...
There is no doubt that Michael Philpott is a uniquely revolting piece of work, of the type that shames our species, but the Mail's disgustingly manipulative attempt to use the horrendous deaths of six children as a vindication of the Coalition's ruthless victimisation of the unemployed, is no less repellent.
You seem to be a little confused as to why people have reacted so strongly to your recent comments about welfare reforms.
Mr Osborne is so busy shouting "you're wrong!" at his naysayers, he can't actually hear what they're saying.
As his lips curled around the stained mug and the hot mud water reached his throat, he wished for the umpteenth time that he had never said that he could easily live on £53 a week. Iain did not know exactly how many times he'd wished this. He just knew it was more than he'd had non-tea or abuse bricks thrown through the window.
Being in government is a privilege. You have the power to influence peoples lives for the better. But at present this government is betraying that responsibility. Theory, and ideology is important, but it stands or fails on real world outcomes.
Fraud is always a problem. Lying and cheating is wrong and society should certainly discourage it. But benefit fraud - people lying and cheating in order to increase the size of their benefits - is not a big problem. There are many problems which are much bigger, in particular fraud by government.
Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander has again slapped down calls for welfare to bear more of the burden of the coalition's austerity cuts. The...
The Archbishop of Canterbury has backed criticism of the government's controversial welfare changes, warning they will have a "deeply disproportionat...
Disabled people and the welfare state, however much the Tories might tell you otherwise, did not cause the financial crisis, bankers running casinos in their trading floors did. In these tough times disabled people need more support from society, not less.
Some pensioners with spare rooms will be hit by reductions in housing benefit under what critics dub the Government's "bedroom tax", the Department of...
Poverty in Britain is real, and it is getting worse. In a decent society, nobody should be forced to go to a food bank in order to feed their kids or be forced to go without heating when temperatures plummet. But even the government admits that this Welfare Uprating Bill alone will put 200,000 more children into poverty.
A TUC report out on Friday suggests that "widespread ignorance" is to blame for negative public perceptions of the UK welfare system. It also accus...
Kevin Murphy, 59, moved to Salisbury to live with his partner after becoming unwell after spending 40 years in the glass trade. Having moved in wi...
As is becoming abundantly clear, 2013 will be extremely tough - on the unemployed and on workers on low incomes, on those with disabilities, on families, on single parents and, yes, on those who work with them and for them to help improve their circumstances.
At Christmas, I hope many will think of others less fortunate than themselves and reconsider how they perceive those on benefits.
