Women's Views on News |
| Universal Credit ‘bad for pensioners’ Posted: 19 Aug 2014 06:33 AM PDT
Pensioner families across the UK will suffer social security cuts worth £6.38bn a year by the time the government's welfare reforms have taken full affect, the TUC warned ahead of a new report on the impact of social security cuts published later this week. In the run-up to the last general election, David Cameron pledged to protect pensioner benefits. However, the TUC-commissioned analysis of welfare cuts, undertaken by Howard Reed of Landman Economics, shows that this pledge has been broken as a result of changes announced by the government over the course of this parliament. The analysis looks at annual cash losses to a number of benefits. It shows that a quarter of all social security cuts implemented between 2010 and 2016/17 will fall on pensioner families – single or couple families where at least one adult is above state pension age and where no adults below the state pension age are in paid work (but where one adult in a couple may be below state pension age and workless). A large proportion of the losses are due to the Chancellor's stealth cut to the uprating of benefits, announced in June 2010, which changed the measure used to increase benefits every year from RPI inflation to the lower CPI measure. The biggest single social security loss to pensioner households is the reduction in Pension Credit, which will cost pensioner families £3.85bn a year by 2016/17. This is due to the value of the Pension Credit Guarantee falling as a result of the Chancellor's benefits stealth cut, as well as reductions to the Savings Credit element of Pensions Credit. Other significant cuts to pensioner families introduced by this government include a £138m annual reduction in the value of the Attendance Allowance and a £340m annual cut in disability benefits for pensioners, both as a result of changes to the uprating of benefits. The social security cuts faced by pensioner families are set to get worse after the election, warns the TUC. Pensioner families will fare particularly badly under Universal Credit, due to be rolled out nationally from 2015, as almost half of the projected £5bn a year of cuts that its introduction will bring will fall on pensioner families. This will bring total losses to pensioner families up to £8.75bn a year, said the TUC. So Universal Credit will make unemployed men and women in their mid-60s the new so-called workshy scroungers, warns the TUC, with many people no longer able to claim Pension Credit. Instead they will only be eligible for less generous working age support and will also be subject to the government's benefit sanctions regime. Under the system the current government inherited, families where one person was at or above state pension age and another was out of work and approaching this point were entitled to Pension Credit. But under the new system a family in this position making a new claim will have to rely on the working age benefits system, and will receive less generous support under Universal Credit. Pension Credit has been a vital benefit for couples who are close to retirement and unable to work but who have different state pension ages. Although limited transitional protection will be available for existing claimants, families finding themselves in this position from 2016/17 onwards are set to lose out significantly. Pensioner families are also losing out as a result of changes to the way the state pension is increased every year, despite government assurances that its 'triple lock guarantee' will maintain its value. The state pension should normally rise in line with earnings, the highest measure in the government's triple lock guarantee. However, because the UK is still experiencing an unprecedented real wage squeeze, the state pension has been increased in line with inflation in recent years. As a result of this the state pension has become another victim of the Chancellor's benefits stealth cut, says the TUC. This is likely to cost pensioner families around £1bn a year by 2016/17. The TUC wants the government to come clean on the full impact of the social security cuts it is making. While minsters have been very vocal about how welfare reforms are targeting out of work households, they have been largely silent on the significant cuts faced by working families and pensioners. The TUC also wants the government to reverse its stealth cut to the uprating of benefits as this change is reducing the value of the state pension, as well as many workplace pensions across the public and private sectors. TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "The government want people to think that their welfare reforms have targeted so-called scroungers, while pensioners have been spared the pain. "After all, the Prime Minister pledged to protect pensioner benefits during the last general election campaign. "The reality, however, is very different. "Pensioner families have had been hit hard by the Chancellor's social security axe with their incomes set to be slashed by over £6bn a year. "For many pensioners the worst is yet to come. "Universal Credit will make unemployed men and women in their mid-60s the new workshy scroungers – unable to claim Pension Credit and suddenly subject to the government's sanctions regime," she continued. "Poor pensioners with no private income will also lose out as a result of the Chancellor's stealth cut in the uprating of vital benefits such as the state pension. "The government's welfare reforms are undermining the extra support we need when we have children or retire, and the safety net we rely upon if we lose our job or become ill. "It is time to stand up for the social security system that we all pay into and will all need at some point in our lives."  |
| England women win rugby world cup Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:33 AM PDT
A capacity crowd witnessed a stunning end to a sparkling tournament in Paris. After losing in the last three World Cup finals, England finally claimed the world title on 17 August for the first time since 1994. A full house of 22,000 at the Stade Jean-Bouin saw England beat Canada 21-9 in an exciting game befitting a final. England began positively and were 11-0 up on the half hour through two Emily Scarratt penalties and a Danielle Waterman try. Canada pulled it back to 11-3 by half time through a Magali Harvey penalty. The second half was a much more tense affair as England seemed to realise just what they were aiming to achieve. Canada took full advantage of England jitters and the deficit was down to just two points mid way through as Harvey put over two more penalty kicks. But Emily Scarratt, with the coolest head on the pitch then struck back with another penalty to stretch the lead to five points. It remained 14-9 until six minutes from the end until Emily Scarratt again, this time in full flight, went over to score the decisive try. This she converted to make the score 21-9. Canada fought to the very end, but England were not to be outdone and there was more than a little relief in the England camp when the hooter went to signify the end of the game. “We’ve worked so hard for this, and there are so many great legends that have gone before us that haven’t won in an England shirt, and that’s for all of them who are here today. "It started years ago with the people that have brought us here, our family and friends. We’ve had to work today – Canada were fantastic – and it’s amazing to think we’ve done it,” England’s captain, Katy McLean, told Sky Sports. It was a high quality final in a high quality tournament. The Parisian populace obviously bought into the event in a big way with large crowds and good media coverage apparent at most of the matches. Although the top honours eventually went to England, it was Ireland who sent the biggest shockwaves through the rugby world as they beat the seemingly unbeatable New Zealand 17-14 in their pool match. It was this defeat that ultimately meant the Black Ferns did not even qualify for the semi-finals, a feat unthinkable before the start of the tournament. England were never more than satisfactory in the group games, beating Samoa 65-3 and Spain 45-5 before meeting Canada for the first time, drawing 13-13. But they upped their game significantly in the semi-final as they put in a fantastic performance to beat Ireland 40-7. After their last three final defeats it was clear that England did not intend to give this one up without a fight, and it was a combination of this determination, no little skill, and the boot of Emily Scarratt that made the difference. The third place play-off was also a fine match, with an ecstatic French crowd seeing their side beat an unlucky Ireland 25-18. England’s win, was ‘not a bad effort’, as Channel 4 News remarked, given that many of the women had to take three months of unpaid leave to compete in the tournament. Unlike the men’s team, the players are not professional, and so they fit training and matches in with day jobs, including working as teachers, coaches, plumbers and policewomen. But women's rugby is on the up worldwide. The standard of play has undoubtedly improved markedly over the last five years. Media coverage is getting better with Sky broadcasting the tournament live and the excellent Sara Orchard providing informed commentary on the latter stages on BBC Radio 5 Live. And so I urge you to check it out. Try scrumqueens for all the latest news and fixture information and the International Rugby Board (IRB) website for the official line on all things rugby union.  |
| Posted: 19 Aug 2014 01:35 AM PDT
Every day, 800 women die from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth. Worldwide, one woman dies every 11 minutes from an unsafe abortion. Teenage pregnancy is the number one cause of mortality for girls aged between 15 -19. Girls in South Sudan are more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than complete primary education. The impact of these deaths is devastating for women and the families and communities they leave behind. When a mother dies, the risk of death for her children under the age of five goes up by 50 per cent. Millions of lives could be saved if women had access to basic healthcare and contraception. It is time for the international community to make women matter. In 2000 the United Nations and all the countries of the world agreed on a set of eight 'Millennium Development Goals' (MDGs) to reduce poverty and inequality by 2015. The fifth goal is to reduce maternal deaths by 75 per cent and achieve universal access to reproductive health. Of the eight goals, this is the most off track and the majority of countries will not meet this target. Providing access to reproductive healthcare is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to save women's lives. If everyone who wanted to use contraception was able to, 79,000 women's lives and 1.1 million infants’ lives could be saved in the developing world alone. And being able to make an informed choice and take control of your own reproductive health is a basic human right. The United Nations General Assembly will meet in September this year to decide what the new development goals will look like. Marie Stopes International (MSI) want to remind decision makers to make women matter. A new set of global development goals is an opportunity to finally give these issues the central position they deserve. For too long the world's leaders have ignored the daughters, mothers, wives, sisters and friends who are dying from entirely preventable causes – now is the time to Make Women Matter. Please sign our petition and join the Make Women Matter campaign to ensure the next development agenda delivers on achieving women's rights and empowerment; universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights; and ending unsafe abortion.
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