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Read The Book
Before the welfare state
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The Greycoat Hospital
The Greycoat Hospital was once a workhouse. It has since been a hospital and a school. It has a very long welfare history. It has now been taken over by the state.
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The Greycoat Hospital
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Education and State
Licence
Stats
Compulsory saving the Singapore, Australian and Chilean way
I am the end of a trip taking nearly two weeks, visiting Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The most notable interview I had in Singapore was with the deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Tharman Shanmugaratnam. We talked about many … Continue reading
Interview in Sweden
Here is an interview I did earlier this year in Sweden. http://www.axess.se/tv/program.aspx?id=2666
Posted by James Bartholomew
Indexed in Education, European Union, General, Healthcare and the NHS, Parenting, Pensions, Politics, Unemployment, Welfare benefits
Italian welfare – a curate’s egg
I have just returned from a visit to Italy where I spoke to quite a lot of interesting people about the welfare state there. I learned too much to put down a fraction of it here. But this, in ultra-brief, … Continue reading
Posted by James Bartholomew
Indexed in Care for the elderly, Education, Healthcare and the NHS, Housing, Parenting, Pensions, Tax and growth, Welfare benefits, Work on the new book
But changes to the state pension may improve the incentives for the poor to save…
The government will make it “crystal clear” to young people that it “pays to save” for retirement when it reforms pensions, Iain Duncan Smith has said. The work and pensions secretary indicated a move towards a flat-rate state pension, removing … Continue reading
They do things differently in Japan
Japan is quite a lot different from Western countries in its welfare state. That makes it interesting for comparison. This is a link to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Pensions and here is the full … Continue reading
Posted by James Bartholomew
Indexed in Care for the elderly, Healthcare and the NHS, Housing, Pensions, Welfare benefits
Going Dutch (or Danish)
The Dutch and Danish occupational pension schemes are going to be looked at by a commission looking into improving pensions in Britain. This is according to an article in The Times on February 1. Unfortunately I cannot link to it … Continue reading
Posted by James Bartholomew
Indexed in Pensions
Where the money is being saved in welfare benefits and pensions
Which are the welfare measures that save the most money? I have taken a look at the table of savings from welfare changes. The most striking thing is how slowly they kick in. The saving in the next financial year … Continue reading
The section on welfare benefits and pensions in Osborne’s Comprehensive Spending Review
So in this Spending Review, while the HM Revenue and Customs budget will be expected to find resource savings of 15% through the better use of new technology, greater efficiency and better IT contracts – we will be spending £900 … Continue reading
Beveridge would now be regarded as a right-wing fanatic
This morning I appeared on Broadcasting House, a BBC Radio 4 programme. I was discussing what had happened to state welfare since William Beveridge’s famous report. A Labour MP, Kate Green, was there taking a more favourable view of how … Continue reading
Posted by James Bartholomew
Indexed in Housing, Media, including BBC bias, Pensions, Reform, Welfare benefits
They save in ‘communist’ China but not in ‘capitalist’ Britain. Why?
A limited formal social security system means the Chinese save like crazy. This is from a long article on the economic situation in China by Liam Halligan in the Sunday Telegraph. The unintended consequence of the welfare state is that … Continue reading