Flexible New Deal | New Deal Scandal: Leading Welfare Reform Concerns

So on June 4th prior to when the election polls closed, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: James Purnell MP cowardly stepped down, leaving Welfare Reform up in the air and Flexible New Deal future uncertain.

What is certain though, the official announcement for successful candidates winning the Flexible New Deal contracts are to be delayed until after the Elections and the highly disapproved Welfare Reform Bill is moving closer to be made law – both long after James Purnell had made a run for it.

A Press Release on the DWP website called “welfare reform is about putting families first” back in April, failed to answer and build confidence in parents about the proposed welfare reforms. All James Purnell went on about is partnering with Relate to help families who are “under stress” (open to all families regardless if married or not) and support for alcoholics, heroin and crack users.

That is all well and said for but the big drug and alcohol problems typically are those outside a family environment. Most benefit claimants with these issues are either single (without child caring responsibilities) or single parents (without both parents doesn’t really constitute a family regardless if a child(ren) is involved).

Another case of the Government neglecting the majority while capitalising on the smaller amount of people with greater needs in order to  solely claim that they are making a big impact on the needs of people who seriously require support.

This said there is likely extra ties involved – Relate counselling is likely to be offered only after a contractual agreement signed with the parents enabling the sharing of information with DWP and other Government bodies when it should actually be confidential.