Patrick Butler
@patrickjbutler
Social policy editor, The Guardian. Tabloid journalist.
ID:98682244
http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/patrickbutler 22-12-2009 17:37:24
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My The Guardian story: Cross-party MPs committee asks spending watchdog to investigate growing concerns over carer's allowance scandal theguardian.com/society/articl…
My The Guardian analysis: The carer's allowance scandal has caused shock, public outrage and political demands for reform: it is not going away. So what happens now? theguardian.com/society/articl…
My The Guardian story: Tens of thousands of carers at risk of debt and prosecution because of routine DWP failure to promptly check electronic alerts on benefits rules infringements, new figures show. theguardian.com/society/articl…
Good interview by Simon Hattenstone with Tory former children's minister Edward Timpson, who is retiring as an MP. In my experience, he was hugely well respected in children's social care, a vanishingly rare thing among austerity ministers. theguardian.com/uk-news/articl…
'Social policy by Groupon: use code TORYWIPEOUT24 for 25% off an oxygen cylinder': Frances Ryan brilliantly captures the absurdity at the heart of Rishi Sunk's disability benefit cuts proposals theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
“It is so bad that if I was to ask our director of finance: ‘How much money have we got in the bank today?’ nobody would be able to tell me': Extraordinary claims about the extent of the financial chaos at bankrupt Birmingham council theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/m… via Jessica Murray
Smart, authoritative and insightful critique of Rishi Sunak's disability benefit cuts proposals - reducing them to rubble in fact - by Stef Benstead
'If there is anything more disgusting than the sight of a half-billionaire rolling up his sleeves for a 'benefits crackdown' in the middle of a cost of living crisis... I can’t think of it': @[email protected] on Sunak's proposed disability reforms theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
My The Guardian story (with (@kiranstacey): Mentally ill people being used as a 'political football' warn campaigners as government unveils proposals to cut disability benefits theguardian.com/society/2024/a…
The latest round of disability benefit reforms - aka 'full on assault on disabled people' - to be outlined in a green paper by ministers afternoon (this follows Rishi Sunak's speech earlier this month) theguardian.com/politics/2024/… via Kevin Rawlinson
I welcome and 💯 agree with Sir Stephen Timms comments and ask of Department for Work and Pensions . In addition to urgently fixing the overpayment issue, let’s also simplify and improve the benefit and support plus with £1.3bn unclaimed, transform access to it. theguardian.com/society/2024/a…
Absolutely Stephen Sir Stephen Timms . And “immediately” is not a moment too soon
Ministers told to 'immediately' fix carer’s allowance issues theguardian.com/society/2024/a…
Very good BBC Radio 4 PM segment on Carer’s Allowance from 22 minutes in today. Shocking case of a carer forced to repay £20,000 for accidental breach of earning la limit. She sent DWP her payslips for years and they took no action - then threatened her with debt recovery officers.
Shocked by the injustices revealed by the The Guardian's stories on carer's allowance? Carers UK has launched an online parliamentary petition calling for a review, and urgent action from DWP to cap and prevent large overpayment debts for unpaid carers.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/6604…
“Things are going quite badly wrong:' influential chair of commons welfare committee tells ministers to fix the failing carer's allowance benefit as concerns grow at treatment of unpaid carers theguardian.com/society/2024/a… by Josh Halliday and me
Today we've written to the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office to ask National Audit Office to undertake a new review into Carer's Allowance overpayments. Today marks the 5th anniversary of their original report. Carers deserve better and urgent action is now needed.