Are the benefit cuts fair?
So many cuts are being made to benefits this month that many people are calling it ‘Black April’ and predicting that the welfare state will never be the same. Of course, lots of people think cutting benefits is a good idea. They’d rather do that than do real work like put up taxes, chase after tax dodgers or close loopholes. But then, they’re usually people lucky enough not to have to rely on the safety net that benefits provide. And they usually have no idea how little most claimants receive and how difficult it is to make ends meet, especially if – like us – you live in central London. So good in so many ways, so expensive if you’re poor! Recent polls have shown that most people think that more than 40 per cent of the welfare budget goes on benefits to unemployed people, when the true figure is…