“If you set people up to succeed, they will succeed. We are saying to the government, let us here in Greater Manchester rethink the entire benefits system and turn it from a negative deficit model that’s trying to see the worst in people into an empowering system that builds people up rather than knocks them down.”
A campaign in Greater Manchester to transform the social security system so that it works for everyone, is gathering momentum and is backed by the region’s mayor, Andy Burnham.
The campaign aims to ensure that every household has the financial means to live with dignity, regardless of employment status, by covering essential needs such as food, housing, healthcare and education.
Led by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), Middleton Cooperating, and the Mama Health and Poverty Partnership, the campaign proposes a two-year pilot to provide 200 households in Middleton, Tameside, Oldham, and Manchester with a Living Income.
The pilot would include people on Universal Credit as well as those with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), a visa condition that restricts access to benefits. NRPFs have been criticised for exacerbating hardship. According to the migrant rights charity Right to Remain, many migrants in the UK have an NRPF condition on their visa and it causes huge hardship and, consequently, has been ruled unlawful many times.
“These judgments have led to small changes in how NRPF works but the policy has not yet been abolished,” says Right to Remain.
Campaigners argue that the current welfare system is fundamentally flawed and fails to meet people’s needs. Instead of the limited support provided by Universal Credit, which may fall as low as 29% of the minimum income required, the campaign aims to deliver at least 60% of the minimum income standard, adjusted by household size. The estimated cost of the pilot, including administration and evaluation, is approximately £3.5 million.
The initiative officially launched in mid-May. Andy Burnham attended the launch event. Speaking there, he said:
“If you set people up to succeed, they will succeed. We are saying to the government, let us here in Greater Manchester rethink the entire benefits system and turn it from a negative deficit model that’s trying to see the worst in people into an empowering system that builds people up rather than knocks them down.”
Mark Fraser of the GM Living Income Campaign spoke of the importance of bringing together community leaders and supporters:
“The big goal was to get as many people as possible together, including Andy Burnham, and demonstrate the power that we’ve built so far.”
The next challenge, Fraser explained, is securing funding to implement the pilot across the 200 target households. One of the campaign’s core aims is to relieve people from the stress of meeting strict Universal Credit conditions, giving them the freedom to pursue long-term career goals without fear of losing essential support.
However, the £3.5 million cost remains the biggest hurdle. Organisers hope that most of the funding will come from private donors and philanthropic organisations.
“There aren’t really resources in the local system,” Fraser admitted, “but we need the cooperation of the local authorities especially to facilitate this and help make it happen.
“It’s about realising that this radical campaign can really change people’s lives for the better.”
Left Foot Forward doesn’t have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.
