LABOUR called on the government today to bring back thousands of benefits staff laid off over a decade of cuts, in order to cope with unprecedented numbers of new claimants.
Tens of thousands of people affected by the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic have faced serious problems applying for universal credit in the past week.
About 477,000 claims have been processed in the last seven days, the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) announced today.
As a proportion of GDP the total welfare bill is lower than it was 15 years ago. The claim that it is spiralling out of control is mythmaking, argues DIANE ABBOTT
In part IV of a serialisation of his new book, JOHN McINALLY tells how austerity minister Francis Maude’s attempt to destroy the PCS Civil Service union totally backfired
Labour will find increases in the state pension age are unacceptable, just as cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance, personal independence payments and universal credit are — it needs to change direction immediately, writes PCS general secretary FRAN HEATHCOTE



