POTENTIALLY major changes to government’s social policies, including the benefit and public housing systems, came a step closer with the publication of results from the public consultation.
The consultation document was circulated to gauge public appetite for reform of system that Social Care Minister Chris Robertshaw MHK described as ‘not fit for purpose’.
The 1,231 replies made it the highest recorded response to a government consultation.
Mr Robertshaw said: ‘It’s a major, major debate. Comments came from people’s hearts. The degree of unanimity was encouraging. We were finding 80 to 90 per cent agreement with what we were proposing.’
The questions were on general rather than specific changes, however. In one example, nearly 93 per cent of respondents agreed that ‘there should be more targeting of scarce public resources towards those in greatest need’.
The results indicate strong support for encourage self-sufficiency for those on benefits, and giving support other than financial.
‘People see benefits as a cash service, but it could be support driven,’ said Mr Robertshaw. ‘The danger with giving money is the benefit trap, were people start employment and earn more money, which takes them over the line of being eligible for benefits, and they become worse off for it.’
The minister added that moves towards means and needs-testing were necessary to establish whether, even though someone may have a right to something, they may not be in particular need of it.
‘The debate was not about cutting benefits or a knee jerk reaction to budgetary difficulties. What we are trying to do is look inwards and meet the needs of the community,’ he said.
The next step though will be a Tynwald debate in December, due to be followed by more detailed proposals being brought forward in early 2013.
‘There will be no “big bang”, it will take a number of changes over a number of years,’ said Mr Robertshaw.
