Storm over ‘political’ campaign by Lambeth over welfare reform information.

Interesting article on the Labour List website, looking at Lambeth’s decision to work on a promotional campaign highlighting the impacts of welfare reforms on local residents. Appears to have fallen foul of Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who has accused the borough of running a ‘political’ campaign. Amongst the facts drawn out are that:

* Council Tax Benefit is being scrapped – 20,758 Lambeth households will be hit by the reductions in financial support. 
* Disability Living Allowance is being abolished – 9,000 people in Lambeth will be affected
* Housing Benefit criteria is being changed in relation to the number of occupied bedrooms in a property – that affects 4,000 Lambeth households.
* A new Cap on Housing Benefit is being introduced later in the year – 667 Lambeth households most of them families will be affected. The average shortfall is £94 per week.
* London has the highest percentage (25.5%) of households receiving Housing Benefit of any region in the country
* Lambeth has 2nd highest number of Housing Benefit claimants in London and the 4th highest number of council tax benefit claimants
* Lambeth has the highest number of Job Seekers in London.

To read the article, see The government should follow Lambeth’s example and tell people about huge benefit cuts

Does anyone know of any similar campaigns taking place locally?

Not exactly a campaign but there was a bit of a political storm locally when Oxford City Council ran a detailed ‘centre page’ article on the changes in the newspaper it distributes to residents. The Labour leader of the council got one fact wrong in his accompanying comment column. The leader of the Lib Dem opposition jumped on this mistake and tried to make political capital (rather than condeming her collegues in government for introducing the cuts in the first place).