It's not difficult to see why the Prime Minister and Chancellor are keenon Freud's principal recommendations of greater involvement of theprivate and voluntary sector in getting people back to work, and thatlone parents with children over the age of 12 could have their benefitscut if they refuse to get a job.
Ministers are keenly aware of the adverse consequences of long-termunemployment on the health of adults and their children. They alsounderstand the best way to lift children out of poverty is to have themgrow up in a household where at least one parent works.
Equally understandable, however, is the loud warning bell that has beenrung by child poverty campaigners about the results of adopting whatappear to be such punitive proposals. Alongside their anxieties over thepotential damage to the voluntary sector's independence by engaging inwelfare provision, they have concerns about forcing parents to work oncetheir children reach an arbitrary age.
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